


Spades in Shadows

by Jrosethegreat



Category: Lackadaisy (Webcomic)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Character Death, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Magic, Murder, Mystery, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Rough Sex, Sex, Shooting, Slow Burn, Smoking, Speakeasies, Stabbing, Trauma, Vampires, Voodoo, Werewolves, Witches, it's lackadaisy with vampires what do you expect
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:08:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 33,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26017030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jrosethegreat/pseuds/Jrosethegreat
Summary: Roark expected a few things when he returned to St. Louis on the behest of Aunt Nina. Being caught in the middle of a supernatural speakeasy turf war was not one of them.Vampires, Voodoo, Beasts of the night, the young violinist will need more than a big smile and sheer dumb luck to survive this night. And perhaps, a little otherwordly assistance from the city’s most lethal blood drinker...
Relationships: Mordecai Heller/Rocky Rickaby
Comments: 34
Kudos: 22





	1. Intro: Welcome Home ?

**_Dear Roark,_ **

_I hope that you understand that I am only writing to you out of respect for dear Calvin. Last I heard you were slumming with some circus or other, not that I expect much to have come of that. However, my foolish nephew, Calvin has been injured. Severely I must add, attacked by some wild dog or beast. I thought my old heart would give when he arrived at my doorstep with his shoulder hanging by mere threads-_

_He keeps asking for you, and I write to you only because I no longer have the strength to say no to him. So, from whatever gutter you find this letter, do drag yourself out and come back to St. Louis._

_For Calvin’s sake, not for mine._

_Nina_

Rocky re-folded the letter before stuffing it rather carelessly in his inside coat pocket, turning his attention to the passing summer scene outside the train window. How long has it been since he last took the train headed into St. Louis, instead of the opposite way? The last time he saw that particular water tower thirty miles outside of the city was the day dear aunt Nina kicked him to the curb.

And now, here he was, on the rattler going back on request of the said aunt. Rocky had the inkling of a mind to tell his sweet aunt ‘Thanks but no thanks,’ but at the end of the day, he had to see Freckle. The little guy was glossy-eyed the day he left, and despite all the shenanigans he dragged his unwitting cousin into when they were kids, the idea of him being seriously injured to the point that Nina would temporarily rescind her banishment was enough to pull the smile right off his face. 

“Next stop, St. Louis! This is the end of the line folks, St. Louis!” the train conductor shrieked, startling Rocky right out of his thoughts. Like clockwork, his wide grin was smacked right back in place and he adjusted his lucky tie; still pristine and in one piece ever since he left town. A new personal record and a win for the books! The moment he saw the station he swore he’d never see again, Rocky stood up from his seat to grab his ratty suitcase from the compartment above.

The train pulled in, squealing and screeching against the rails, and with a particularly rough jerk the train came to a halt, the young man was sent flying over the seat in front of him and right into the lacy lap of the middle-aged dame sat in front of him. The miss gave a shriek to wake the ghosts and Rocky scrambled to right himself before people thought he was making a pass. 

“My sincerest apologies _madame,”_ he drawled, grin just a tad too wide to be charming as he made a bow to the startled woman, “seems that this here iron horse saw fit to kick up a fuss, and in doing so saw me kicked into your lovely lap.” The woman huffed, turning her nose up and facing away from him in indignation. Well, at least he tried. A few of the other passengers in third class eyed him suspiciously as he made his way towards the exit, and no amount of hat-tipping or slight nods put them at ease. 

What a warm welcome home!

Bursting from the train carriage onto the platform with a renewed excitement he never expected to feel again in regards to this place, and in the blazing St. Louis summer sun Rocky basked in the view that was his city. His heart. His _home!_

Inhaling deeply, he removed his hat and placed it over his heart, paying respect to his long lost lady. The musky scent of the grand dame Mississippi ticked his nose and without rhyme or reason, the young man raced towards the closest bench and leaped on top, suitcase in one hand while the other grasped onto a nearby pole for support. 

The other occupant of said bench sent Rocky a surprised and affronted glare from behind his impeccably clean glasses, but the brunet didn’t notice as he belted forth his affirmations.

“ _Ah, my dear jewel of the River_ _  
_ _Distance has made this heart grow sadder._   
_Fear not, silent shining Lou_ _  
Your humble knight has now returned to you_!”

To his right, Rocky heard a throat clearing and turned his wide blue eyes towards the man sitting on the bench that he was currently barking from. Blinking a few times, the young man turned and saw that quite a few heads had turned towards his direction with mixed expressions of confusion and annoyance. But the man next to him, oof, if looks could **kill-**

Chuckling nervously, Rocky got off his impromptu stage and shook his hand apologetically.

“Terribly sorry pal! Well, I’m just through the moon to be home again after so long! You get me?” In response to Rocky’s bright smile, the man on the bench merely raised his brow. Right then. Clearing his throat, Rocky nodded and started on his way. 

“Tough crowd,” he mumbled, replacing his head before the sun burned his scalp through his dark hair. Unbeknownst to him, the man on the bench didn’t take his gaze off of the young man as he retreated, eyes narrowing slightly behind his glasses that reflected the sunlight in a harsh glare. 

Welcome home, indeed.


	2. Homecoming

**_ROCKY WAS GOING TO BE SICK._ **

The enthusiasm and mirth he had garnered back at the train station had swiftly turned to mush in his stomach the moment the cab turned the corner onto the street he spent the majority of his childhood tearing to shreds. And there it was, the house that he watched recede in the rearview mirror as he left this street once and for all. He swore then that he would never come back to this particular street even if one day his wandering shoes dragged him back to St. Louis one day.

Funny how a near-tragedy could change all that. 

As the cabbie pulled the car to a stop Rocky offered him a queasy grin before handing him the fare.

“You’re short pal.” he gruffed, rattling the change in his hand. Rocky, hand to his chest in shock, had the gal to appear affronted.

“My good sir, I’ll have you know that I have taken this exact route to this exact house from that exact train station many a time! I daresay, even in this exact cab once or twice before you took command of its sleek keel,” Rocky patted the seat, pulling his hand away when he felt something sticky, “and I do believe that I have given you the _exact_ fare for this particular _promenade._ ”

He flashed the cabbie a grin that near split his face in half, but all he received was a moment of silence.

“Three more cents pal.” the cabbie gruffed. Rocky deflated.

“You gotta be kidding me.”

“Look I don’ make the rules-”

 **“Roark!”** Both men froze as they turned to see an older woman storming down the porch stairs with a scowl set in her weathered face. Rocky knew that face all too well and cowered behind the car door while the cabbie raised a brow.

“Aunt Nina! It’s been far too long since I’ve seen the glow of your lovely visage and must I say you’re looking younger every time I see you,” Rocky fumbled with his shirt but before he could say or do anything else Nina wrenched open the door and yanked the boy out by his ear. He barely had the mind to remember to grab his suitcase before he was pulled out. "Ouch, Aunt Nina that's no way to treat your favorite nephew?!"

"You're my _only_ nephew," Nina replied, completely monotone.

“Listen lady he gotta pay the fare!” the cabbie barked but Nina silenced any further protest with a glare cold enough to freeze Hades. Meanwhile, Rocky was holding on to her wrist to keep her from tearing his poor ear off.

“He’s paid you all he will. Good day sir.” The rigid dismissal was all the cabbie was willing to deal with for the day and with a slight tip of his hat, he pocketed the money and peeled out of the neighborhood like he couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Classic Nina. 

“Hi, Aunt Nina, lovely to see you too!” Rocky twisted around as much as the hand on his ear would allow to shoot her a grin but she merely glared down at him before pulling him towards the house.

“You’re a day late,” she remarked, letting Rocky go only to open the door for them. She didn’t bother holding it open while Rocky stood there rubbing his ear. 

“It wasn’t my fault! The train was held up three towns over and I was forced to sleep on a hard bench all night. I don’t think my back will ever recover from the experience.”

“You couldn’t even call?”

“The phones were dead!” Nina sent him a glare but Rocky was telling the truth; he looked her right in the eye as they stood there. Grunting, Nina moved into the living room with Rocky following behind at a careful distance, leaving his case by the stairs. He knew that he shouldn’t bother taking it upstairs. Looking around, he noticed hardly anything had changed since he left; faded wallpaper that was way overdue for a change, the aged smell mixed with Nina’s particular choice of perfume that could kill flies if they got too close, pictures of the family still in the same place.

Except…

“Ah, see you redecorated a little.” His smile was taut as he jerked his thumb towards a noticeably empty spot on the mantle, the spot where something once stood noticeably shinier than the rest of the dusty wood. Nina didn’t respond, freezing for a brief moment before she bustled up towards the kitchen.

“Calvin’s upstairs and he should be awake if you wanted to see him. I’ll make some tea.”

“You’re a saint auntie.” He didn’t turn to see her expression before heading up the stairs. Huh, even the steps still squeaked in the same place as he remembered. He wondered if Calvin still remembered his secret dance to avoid all the creaky places. As he reached the landing, he paused just in front of a picture of two young women in their Sunday best. The one on the right was a picture of perfection, back straight and expression serene if not a bit cold. Classic Nina.

Rocky’s attention was on the other one, no less pretty but with a smile that reached her eyes and a posture that leaned more towards the playful. He felt a pang in his chest seeing her, reaching up to gently wipe away the dust from her face. How is it that seeing her face, even in a picture, was enough to pull at his deepest heartstrings?

“Hey Ma, I’m home,” he said quietly, thumb still tracing her features. “Don’t know how long Nina’ll let me stay but, I’ll come visit you too okay?” Taking a deep breath, Rocky turned and headed towards their- Calvin’s, room, where the door was slightly ajar to let the airflow through. Big smile in place, Rocky burst through the door and immediately felt his eyes lit up at the sight of his cousin.

“Freckle! How’s the big guy?” Said ‘big guy’ was currently on the bed wrapped up in blankets and bandages to the point where he couldn’t move, a tuft of bright ginger hair peeking through where the linens allowed. His eyes were as wide and startled as Rocky remembered, though there was less baby fat in his cheeks now. 

“Rocky, you came…” Freckle’s voice was small but a tiny smile pulled across his face. Rocky quickly pulled up a chair and sat down, reaching over to ruffle the tuft of hair.

“Course I did, how could I possibly stay away after your poor mother practically begged me to come see you?” the redhead felt his smile immediately drop at that, avoiding Rocky’s gaze as he gripped the sheets. This caused Rocky to really look at the damage. Arms all wrapped up, fingers bruised, and where the open shirt allowed it showed that there were some bandages on his chest as well. Jesus Christ, what had _done_ this?

“So, you’re not staying…” Freckle mumbled.

“Well, maybe not here,” Rocky shrugged, “but don’t worry! I’ll be slumming it in the city and I’ll be ‘round to see you every day. Promise.” he offered Freckle his most comforting grin but Freckle looked doubtful.

“That’s, that’s nice and all but, I don’t think you should. At least, not for a couple days.” Rocky frowned and leaned forward slightly, brows furrowed.

“Why’s that? If it’s your mom I’m sure I can-”

“No it’s not Nina. I mean, partially but, something else. Something, worse.” Now that got Rocky thinking; what the hell could be worse than Nina? “What did she say about, _this_?” Freckle motioned up and down along his body.

“Just that it was an animal attack or something, did a helluva job I gotta add too. Why? What happened buddy?” Rocky watched as Freckle retreated a little further into himself before he leaned in closer, whispering.

“It wasn’t a dog, it was, something else. Some _body_ else.” Rocky’s eyes widened, almost falling out of his skull with shock.

“Holy _shit_ Cal a person did this?! Why the hell haven’t you told the police?” he shrieked, only for Freckle to shush him.

“Not so loud! I, I can’t tell them. They wouldn’t believe me.”

“Why the hell not? Look at you!”

“You won’t believe me.”

“Calvin, look at me.” Rocky only ever used Freckle’s given name in serious situations, and this was serious. “You’re here all banged up bad enough for Nina to call me back here after giving me the boot; whatever you gotta say, say it. I’ll believe ya.” Freckle looked up at him for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.

“It was dark so I didn’t see them very well, there were two of them. Well, one at first then another… I was walking home from the station and all of the sudden I’m in a dark alleyway. Someone pulled me in, I don’t know why I mean, I don’t got any money so why mug me? Anyways, my head was ringing and next thing I knew I felt something sharp in my neck. I tried fighting them off but they gripped me so tight I felt my sleeves rip- how the hell can someone make sleeves rip by grabbing them?” Freckled held up his arms, staring at them like they could give him any answers.

“And? What happened?” Rocky said, softly.

“Someone else came… my head was so fuzzy that I couldn’t hear what they were saying but there was an argument and then I’m on the ground and my chest and my head hurt. Whoever grabbed me, clawed me or something? Anyways, there was a fight then the second person grabbed me and then I guess I must’ve passed out from the pain because, well, the police found me on a bench and took me to a hospital.” Rocky was in pure shock now, leaning back to run a hand through his tresses as he tried to process what had happened. All that happened to _Calvin_ of all people? When they were kids, usually it was Rocky leading them into trouble while Freckle just followed along all wide-eyed and curious. Freckles was a _good kid,_ shit like this didn’t happen to good kids.

“Jeez. That’s incredible. But, what was so crazy about that you couldn’t tell the police about it?” the look his cousin gave him could only be described as fearful and haunted.

“Because the one who grabbed me first, he had _fangs._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Howdy hey lovelies, here's another chapter for ya! Update schedule is gonna be one every three days or so. Why? Just because~ Please leave a kudos/comment if you like this here work and do share it around, also come find me on Twitter @jrosehatton or on Tumblr @mimentomori. Stay Luminous~


	3. In a Fourth Leaf

**_FANGS_ **

Rocky almost didn’t register the word, at first he thought he must have misheard but then again, Freckles wasn’t one to lie about such things. Or anything, the guy honest to God sucked at lying even when his life depended on it. But, fangs?

“Uh, you sure bud? Sure the guy didn’t just have really sharp teeth or, maybe your head was making you see things?” he offered, smiling awkwardly. But Freckle only fixed him with a hard stare that managed to send enough shivers down Rocky’s spine to get the message; he was certain. “Right. Shit.”

Silence fell over the room, the late afternoon sun quickly setting. Setting… Ah, right, he would have to get going. 

“Well, sharp teeth or not, I’m just glad you got out of that mostly in one piece. And they managed to keep that handsome face unscratched, the ladies will rejoice!” standing up, Rocky patted Freckled on his shoulder, giving him his best ‘don’t worry aboudit’ grin he could muster given the situation. Freckle grabbed on to Rocky’s hand, keeping him from moving.

“Please, don’t go out tonight. I can talk to Ma and you could stay, just for tonight,” he begged and Rocky felt his chest clench painfully. While he would like nothing more, the fact of the matter remained; this house was no longer his home, and despite Calvin being hurt Nina was not going to let some bum like him sleep under this roof. His smile grew sad as he shook his head.

“Hey, don’t worry ‘bout me bud. Skinny noodle like me? No way that’s gonna attract any face-eating sharp-toothed weirdos right?” Wiggling his spaghetti arms in an attempt to make Freckle relax, Rocky chuckled. 

“Just, be careful okay?” Freckle sighed, eyes going a bit downcast. Rocky nodded and gave him one last affectionate hair ruffle.

“Scout’s honor Frecks. Now, I better beat it before Nina beats me. I’ll be ‘round tomorrow okay?” 

“Okay.” With that, Rocky turned and left, passing Nina on the landing who was carrying a tray of food.

“Where are you going?” she asked, noninterested but more out of politeness. 

“Got some friends in this town still, gonna crash with them. Mind if I use the phone? Maybe this time I’ll get a cabbie that knows his own fares.”

“Wait a moment Roark.” he paused mid-step, turning around to look at her curiously. She set the tray down on a near table before turning to look at him with a slightly perturbed expression. He couldn’t remember the last time she saw her look worried. Especially, worried in regards to _him._ Reaching into her dress pocket, she pulled out a set of keys and handed them out to him. Rocky's eyes widened in recognition.

“Hang on, isn’t this-?”

“Well, Calvin certainly can’t use that thing the way he is now can he? You can use it as long as you’re visiting, just bring it back clean. And in one piece.” Rocky’s mood lifted slightly and looked at his aunt gratefully.

“Sure thing ma’am, back in one piece and spotless. I’ll take care of her.” She nodded briskly before turning and taking the food tray to Freckle’s room. Rocky immediately shot down the stairs and was already halfway out the door when Nina paused and looked after him. 

“Please be safe… for Calvin’s sake,” she said quietly, knowing he wouldn’t hear her even if she tried calling out to him. Looking up at the photo of her and her sister, she sighed. “Yours too Sophie.”

~~~

Lordy did he miss this car! Sure it took a couple of tries for it to start up but soon enough she was purring like a kitten and Rocky was flying down the roads towards the heart of his beloved city. He insisted on leaving the car behind for Calvin when he left but damn did he miss it every day he was forced on to the train to God knows where toward who knows what. Nothing replaced the feeling of being behind the wheel and knowing you could go wherever for however long the gas lasted ya. 

A rumbling in his stomach yanked him right out of his dreamy thoughts. Damn, maybe he should have stayed a bit longer at Nina’s to try and snag some free grub. And most of the cafes would probably be closed this time around- or worse, no longer serving pancakes. A crime against humanity in his mind. Besides, after the cruel cabbie from before took all his spare change he didn’t really have all that much dough to spare. 

Soon, he spotted a cafe on a corner that he didn’t recognize,  _ The Little Daisy  _ it was called. He wondered when it opened but hey, at least it was open at this later hour! Looked proper enough and seemed like there was just enough business to signify it being decent quality… But first, money. He never liked having to busk on a corner but, when the going get's tough, the not-so-tough get playing.

Pulling up and parking around the corner, the young man quickly moved around to the back and opened his suitcase. The majority of the space was taken up by another smaller case, a black violin case that has seen some better days. In it, his pride and joy, his means of living from here all the way out to Sacramento and back again. His own ‘Sophie,’ named after his saint Mother who taught him how to play when he was a scamp. 

He’d need to get a new resin block soon, he thought as he coated his bow. At least none of the strings broke on the train ride over, some of those turnpikes were rough and tumble and he remembered reaching up for his case out of protective instinct. Strings were expensive to replace on a good day. Once he deemed the bow ready enough he quickly placed his precious instrument under his chin with practiced familiarity and played a few notes, tuning and adjusting until the sound was just right…

And then, under the rising moon of the St. Louis skyline and with his case laid at his feet, Rocky began to play. 

Songs My Mother Taught Me, Dvorak… as fate would have it, the first song his mother taught him on the violin. Such somber yet bittersweet notes soothe the troubled soul. Every time he played or heard this particular song, especially when things looked a little bleak, he’d remember his mother’s words in his ears on days when he’d cry as a kid.

_ “There is nothing so bad in this world that a smile and a melody can’t fix, even for a little. Remember that, my little Rock.”  _

And he would. Closing his eyes, he let the song take over him, pouring his persistent optimism and latent pain into every note. So lost was he that he didn’t notice how multiple pairs of eyes turned to fix on him. Some from Daisy _ ,  _ patrons, and the cute button of a waitress alike. Some just passing by, lovers and wayward souls alike be they passing on the street or coming around the corner. 

A shadow appeared on the roof just next to the one Rocky played in front of, the shape indistinguishable from the night but it stopped nonetheless to listen to the music. Almost reluctantly, it neared the edge to peer down at the young violinist, gaze widening in interest and mild surprise. 

As the last note rang out in the air, soft applause from the lonely audience members echoed across and Rocky gave a little bow; a showman to a fault. He didn’t even have to bend down to pick up his hat as passersby left a few coins here and there and- was those paper dollars? Rocky almost felt bad but, that was a few good meals in pocket for him. The lady who left them got an extra-wide smile from him. 

“Dat was some fancy fiddlin’ cher. Where does a fine young man like you learn da play like dat?” Rocky whirled to meet the owner of that peculiar voice, landing on what seemed to be two Louisiana folk walking arm and arm in their best clothes. Their skin was almost ebony in the moonlight and the lady, in particular, had a sharpness in her gaze that reminded Rocky of the glint of a cat’s claws before it sunk into a poor mouse. Smiling bashfully, he shrugged.

“That would be the work of my dear mother ma’am, bless her soul. It makes my heart happy to hear that her efforts weren’t wasted, Miss..?”

“ _ Madame Savoy,  _ Serafine to mes amis. And dis here is  _ mon frere,  _ Nico.” the woman, Serafine, replied motioning towards her Goliath of a brother. Nico extended his arm out to shake which Rocky accepted, though his poor hand came back all but crushed afterwards.

“ _ Bienvenue a Saint Louis mon ami,  _ dis is good to see a new face ‘round here,” Nico remarked, staring down at Rocky like he was a new toy. The thought made Rocky gulp a little. 

“Um, correction. I’m both old and new to this here city folks, I only just returned today.” This caused Serafine to raise her well-manicured brow slightly.

“Dat so cher? Well den in dat case, welcome home. We hope to be seein’ you ‘round again soon  _ oui? _ ” she said as she started leading Nico away. Something about the way she spoke, while friendly enough, made Rocky’s hair on the back of his neck stand up. Maybe it was Freckle’s talk of fangs and fightin’ that’s got him all worked up. Meanwhile, Nico left a small tidy sum of cash in Rocky’s hat. 

That would have made him more than enough to get a hotel for the night!

“Ah, oui ma’am. Thank you so kindly for your, uh, generous donations. Name’s Rocky by the way, Rocky Rickaby.” he called after them, scrambling to put his hard-earned cash and Sophie away. When he turned to look at them again, they were gone. And so was most everyone else on the street for that matter.

Huh.

Rocky shrugged, focusing more on making sure his money and things were secured in the car. So focused in fact, that he didn’t notice nor hear another set of footsteps approaching from behind and before he could so much as scratch his nose two strong arms grabbed him from behind and yanked him with so much speed his eyes almost got left behind. He couldn’t even scream before a cold hand was pressed over his mouth and the light of the streets was replaced with the dark of an alleyway.

“So, I heard you was new here yeah? Easy pickins then.” a gravelly voice chuckled in his ear. Rocky turned and struggled in his captor's grasp, but that in turn made his assailant hold him tighter. So much so that he was struggling to breathe.

“Pwesh sshir I don know hat ou wan bu-” he tried to yell but the other shook him roughly.

“Quiet! I hate it when my food talks too much.” Hang on a damn second. Did this weirdo just say  _ food?!  _ Rocky’s struggles re-doubled and the blood in his veins ran cold the moment he felt two sharp points pass the tip of one of his ears. Oh shit, just his damn luck! He gets the best pull in three months then the next moment he gets bumped off by some cannibal who clearly needs to invest in a stove! Or a really nice sweater!

_ Mama, guess I’m coming to see ya sooner than you thought,  _ he prayed disparagingly. But suddenly, like a blessing from heaven itself, a door slammed open and both he and his attacker hissed at the sudden light. Not a normal hiss, a true, honest, feral hiss that an animal would make. Not a human. A tall dark shadow filled the door space, silhouetted by the light from the building.

“I thought I told you last time leech, you don’t come here again and I don’t break bones like pencils. You came back. Now, I crush you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: New chapter for you loves! I hope you enjoy, please keep leaving your lovely comments below!


	4. Saved

**_HE WAS SAVED_ **

Guess who wasn’t going to die tonight? Rocky Rickaby ladies and gents! Immediately the arms around him vanished and he dropped to the ground coughing and spluttering while his attacker hissed at the newcomer. Rocky looked up and saw, yup, sharp teeth in that hissing mouth. _Yup, very sharp teeth._ He wondered off-handedly how long it took for him to file those puppies down but first, not dying!

“These ain’t your grounds any more chief, not for long anyways. Sweets’ll make sure of it.” The newcomer growled deep in his chest as he loomed over Rocky’s pathetic form, hand raised in warning.

“If Sweets steps foot here I bite head off like I did your friend. Scram.” his hero demanded. The attacker gave a final feral hiss before vanishing into the night. Call it lack of oxygen talking but when Rocky looked up to get a proper look at his savior he knew that he saw actual honest to God  **claws** retreat into his fist. The man turned his gaze, more like glare, down to him and Rocky noticed he had one eye under a patch and a strong set of scruff around the chin. Rocky could only smile limply.

“Thank you, kind sir, for your most fortuitous entrance there,” he said, voice a bit raspy still. The one-eyed man sniffed him, and none too subtly he might add and frowned deeply.

“Are you bit?” he asked, eye narrowing.

“Um, my ear- EEK?!” the moment he motioned towards his head he was being yanked up again by his collar, feet just barely touching the ground as the behemoth of a fella inspected his injury. Just a mere slight scrape of the outer ear but he’s survived worse! The man hummed, so low it was almost a growl.

“You’re fine. But, not safe here. Come.” Like he gave Rocky much of a choice. Still hanging on to his collar, the man dragged him back into the building he burst out from. It appeared to be some sort of garage.

“Ah careful there pal, that’s my good tie!” Rocky shrieked just as the heavy wooden doors slammed shut behind him.

Meanwhile, the failed perpetrator was skulking along the filthy street, hunched over as he mulled over his options. That was two damn failed hunts in a week and the results were starting to show; as he looked down at his hand the man scowled, the veins were almost black in the moonlight and the skin hung on the bone. Any longer without blood and things would take a turn for the disastrous. 

He paused when the light was suddenly obscured by shadow and he looked up quickly to see who it was. Who he saw standing in his path made his blood run cold, the other's gaze hidden behind the moon's reflection off of his glasses.

“Y-You-! What are you doing here? I thought you skedaddled last year!” the stranger took a step out of the shadows, moonlight glinting off of the rims of his glasses as he fixed the cowering man with a hard glare.

“Merely observing your appalling performance tonight. You let that particular mutt chase you away twice now,” the gaze fell to other’s withering hand and he raised a brow, “and the results are starting to show it seems.” 

“So what, that little beanpole was supposed to be free-range, he ain’t even from around here! How was I supposed to know the commie was gonna raise his hackles?” the other spat, baring his teeth. That was the last mistake he ever made.

Faster than a blink of an eye a sickening crunch reverberated from the walls of the alley and the man looked down to see the stranger’s arm sticking straight out of his chest. His blood was shiny on the black leather and he choked on the welling mass in his throat as he struggled to breathe. 

“Worms like you make me sick. Especially when you don’t know your place.” With an effortless yank, his heart was removed from his chest cavity and blood splattered all along the walls. The man in black watched as the body crumpled and dissolved into dust, leaving behind only rumpled clothes. Even the blood and organ in his hand eventually crumpled and vanished, the remains to be brushed off later.

“Disgusting.” 

~~~

Back in the garage, Rocky soon learned that the garage sat on top of a hatch leading down to the maze of caves underneath the city but instead of cold, damp, dark limestone caverns that he was certain was going to become his mausoleum, his ears perked at the sound of smokey jazz music wafting from around the dimly lit corner and the sounds of people milling. 

“Hang on there my friend, are you meaning to tell me that this here is an oasis of the dry spell that has fallen upon our great nation? A drop of respite for the draught of the soul wrongfully forced upon our constitution?” Rocky asked, trying to find footing but finding himself dragged along. The one-eyed man paused to look down at him.

“Vhat in God’s name you talking about little man?” he gruffed.

“...This a hooch parlor?” 

“Oh. Yes. Come, need to speak to boss lady now.” the one-eyed fella continued dragging Rocky until they descended down the last set of stairs and Rocky’s eyes widened in awe at the splendor laid out before him. Gold, so much gold detailing highlighting lush red carpets and loveseats. On the stage, a band played, led by a tired yet mysterious looking fella on the sax as they plod through a slow blues number. And booze. 

All the patrons had a glass or tumbler full of some sort of illegally produced liquor and the grin on Rocky’s face could only be described as crazed; when was the last time he had a decent drink?

“Move faster.” the jerk on his collar reminded him that, actually, nope, not a smile moment it’s a babble until you get out of this situation, type of moment.

“Listen if my being attacked offended you in some manner I can humbly apologize to the right parties but in terms of compensation I have only the change in my pocket and my skills on the strings so-”

“Shut up,” the one-eyed man barked before his single orb's gaze sought out a woman perched at the bar with a mink wrap draped delicately around her elbows. Her hair was cut and coiffed in a stylish bob that framed her moon-shaped face perfectly, but there was a permanent melancholy that decorated her delicate features, “Mitzi, ve had another altercation outside. This one was injured.” Rocky was unceremoniously tossed forward and he ended up falling flat on his face under the force of the other man’s throw. The woman turned and pursed her rosebud lips in disapproval.

“Viktor, what have I said about your bedside manner, you don’t throw people around like potato sacks- unless I  _ ask you  _ to hm?” Taking a drag from her cigarette perched on a long black holder, the woman, Mitzi, raised a manicured brow at the brute, Viktor, who only shrugged.

“He vas moving slow, talking too much.” As if on cue Rocky shot up and immediately shot Mitzi with his signature smile.

“My dear lady, I am in awe not only by your ethereal beauty but that of your enchanted realm here beneath the city. I believe I have fallen into the Farie Court of Queen Meb herself, although I doubt she could hold a candle to your glow.” Mitzi watched with a quirked brow as Rocky straightened himself as much as he was able before bowing deep. Viktor on the other hand just looked confused and downright annoyed.

“See vhat I mean?” he gruffed. Mitzi merely chuckled.

“It seems we have a gentleman in our midst, a rare breed among this lot,” she gave Rocky her hand to kiss, taking another small puff of her ciggy, “however, an unlucky gentleman all the same. What happened dear boy?”

“Well,” Rocky cleared his throat, “I was enjoying my well-earned boons from the patrons of the night after I enchanted them with my riveting performance of our dear friend Dvorack when alas, I was tragically wrenched away from my glory by cold-handed vagabonds of the shadows. The fella nearly tore my ear off!” he motioned to his ear which was starting to scab, while Mitzi’s frown grew deeper.

“Viktor?” she asked, turning towards the larger man. He huffed.

“He’s not like other one, no smell of death on him. But he’s seen enough.” Mitzi nodded, brows furrowed.

“This part never gets easy.” Rocky at this point, was confused.

“Pardon me Miss M, but if this helps I promise I won’t go squawking about your little establishment here, I consider myself a connoisseur of fine spirits and you being here is a blessing in my eyes.” his smile was starting to falter, surely these reasonable people wouldn’t be so paranoid enough to do him bodily harm for his unfortunate circumstance. Right? Mitzi however, only smiled and waved him off.

“No no sugar, it’s not that, although I appreciate your statement all the same,” she paused, taking a deep breath before fixing Rocky with a serious glare, “but this establishment serves more than just bootlegged spirits, honey. We serve a clientele of more… unusual nature.”

“I spent some time in a circus out west Miss M, I ain’t one to judge the nature of anyone for being odd.” Mitzi only shook her head.

“No sugar, that’s not it either. Viktor, if you would?” Rocky turned towards Viktor who was shedding his coat.

“Vhy me?” he grouched. Mitzi chuckled.

“Because it’s rude for a lady to show her teeth; at least so soon.” Briefly, Rocky wondered if he had stumbled into some sort of  _ fetish  _ club or other even though the place looked like a normal illegal bar to him and he was readying his grand escape plan which involved possibly and tragically setting part of the place on fire with a bottle of liquor when Viktor rolled up his sleeves and held his hand up in front of Rocky’s face.

“Uh, is this some sort of secret handshake that I don’t know about? I only just returned to the city so I may be-”

“Do you  _ ever  _ stop talking?” Viktor growled. Rocky simply returned his question with a blank stare.

“Not real- ugh, what’s happening to your arm pal?” Before he thought he had imagined the claws coming out of Viktor’s hand before but there was no mistaking it now, the guy’s arm hair was becoming considerably thicker and longer and those nails were  _ not  _ normal nails. Long, curved, slightly black at the tips like… a dog’s?

“W-What kinda spirits are you serving here Miss M? I’ve heard of hair of the dog but this just takes the-” Rocky turned with a nervous smile, not quite believing what he was seeing but behind Mitzi in a loveseat a couple was necking in the corner. Like, really going for necks. Like, the guy had his mouth on her throat and when he pulled back his lips and teeth were stained a hint of red.

_ “Fangs.”  _ Freckle had said.

Oh.

_ Oh. _

**_Oh._ **

Nodding, Rocky turned back to face Mitzi and Viktor who were eyeing him expectantly, Mitzi giving a smile that showed just the tip of a sharpened canine. His eyes went wide for a moment, a smile small on his face as he turned his gaze towards some point in the distance away from reality.

And then, he screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Boop boop, new chapter! I almost didn't get around to posting this one, final projects keeping me hella busy these days. But! Three days is three days no? One day, I'll stop leaving these chapters on such cliffhangers but, how else am I going to keep you interested? Please continue leaving lovely comments and please, feel free to shoot me a message!


	5. Baby Vamp

**_VIKTOR WAS STRONG_ **

Rocky would give him that the moment he calmed down, but currently being held up in the man (lycan’s, he’d later learn) arms with one clawed hand covering his mouth only served to stir the panic storm in his chest. He kicked, screamed, tried to bite the hand covering his mouth but Viktor was immovable as a brick house. Mitzi however, was pinching her nose bridge while the other patrons of the bar looked at them all curiously but none too shocked at what was happening.

_ Was this a regular occurrence here?!  _

“This one is worse than puppy, all squirming and whining,” Viktor remarked like he currently didn’t have a very scared human in his arms just shy of crushing him. Oh God, he didn’t want to get crushed!

“Give him a moment sugar, it always takes a moment for the panic to pass,” Mitzi replied, sipping a martini that she had bought while Rocky was having his screaming fest. At that moment, someone new came through the doors, a young girl with a face as cute as a button and a bob as trendy as sin. Oh, that cute server from the cafe! Dressed to the nines, she scanned the crowd until she spotted the three of them by the bar and quickly approached.

“Heya! Miss May, Viktor and… who is this?” she frowned curiously at Rocky, who had finally stopped struggling and was trying to pry Viktor’s hand away from his face. His eyes met hers pleadingly, huge against the hand covering his mouth. The girl frowned.

“This is… actually, I don’t think we got his name dear, but he’s new to this scene.” Mitzi replied, putting emphasis on the word ‘scene.’ The girl nodded slowly in understanding before frowning sharply up at Viktor.

“And you think smothering him with your hairy mitt is helping him? Put him down now!” she barked at Viktor.

“He vouldn’t stop screaming in ear, keep him quiet.” Viktor shrugged, meanwhile Rocky was starting to feel a little lightheaded. The girl simply rolled her eyes and walked right up to Rocky, forcing his eye to meet hers.

“Hey, I’m Ivy. If I tell this meathead to let you go, will you promise to not scream? Relax, I’m human too.” Ivy smiled to show her teeth and Rocky saw that yup, she had normal teeth. Seeing not much other choices, he nodded as best he could with Viktor’s hand over his face and gave a muffled “Mhmm.” Smiling proudly, Ivy put her hands on her hips and looked up at Viktor. 

Sighing, Viktor set him down and released his mouth, allowing Rocky to take in a huge gasp of air. 

“Much obliged to you Miss Ivy, I was starting to see fairies for a moment there. Wowza, sharp teeth and hairy claws, like something out of Lovecraft!”

“More like Stoker if we’re being honest,” Ivy replied, smirking triumphantly up at Viktor who only frowned, “but very real and very scary!” 

Werewolves, Vampires, fangs, claws, things that go bump in the night and tend to bump you off in the night. Rocky’s head was swimming.

“You leave town for a few years and suddenly your city becomes a ghost town!” Rocky exclaimed to himself, hand running through his hair.

“Actually sugar, us Night Creatures have been in St. Louis since before you were born I reckon. We’re just very good at hiding it from unwanted eyes. Or, at least we were before prohibition hit us.” Mitzi sighed, swirling the contents of her glass idly.

“I thought the law prohibited booze drinkin’, not blood drinkin’... and that was a sentence I never thought I’d say.” 

“A lot of bars back in the day moonlighted as safe spaces for donors and vamps, now we had to work smarter. So, speakeasies had to moonlight… while moonlighting.” she gestured around the space while Rocky gave a low whistle.

“Well, I guess if you’re hiding one thing no one’s gonna blink if you hide another… this place your idea, Miss M?” At that, her expression grew sad as she placed a hand at her neck, on top of a space that was hidden by her dress.

“No sugar, it was my husband’s idea…” From the way the room fell, Rocky was sure this husband was probably dead… like, actually dead.

“My condolences ma’am.” 

“Thank you. Atlas was a clever man and a powerful member of our race. But, that wasn’t enough in the end, even for him,” Mitzi sighed, before shaking her head and putting on a brave smile, “enough of all that foolishness. Now I think it’s about time you told us your name sugar.” Name.  _ Name!  _ Rocky smacked himself in the head before straightening up and giving a bow.

“Roark Rickaby ma’am, but you can just call me Rocky, Master of the Stanzas, and Provider of Fine Poetry. By request.” he gave a wink before Ivy’s eyes widened slightly.

“You’re the fella playing the fiddle outside earlier?”

“The one and the same Miss Ivy! I’m glad my performance caught your attention.”

“Mitzi! You should have him play, he’s… I mean, ugh I don’t know how to explain it but you won’t regret it!” 

“You’ll have to ask Zib sweetheart, he’s in charge of the music here you know.” Mitzi motioned towards the band, in particular towards a slender fellow with sharp features and a scruffy set of whiskers around his chin and mouth. The sax player, Rocky recalled.

"I'd be most honored, that is if you don't mind me sleeping in my car nearby? I happen to be a tad homeless." Rocky asked smiling nervously. Mitzi shrugged.

"As long as you look and smell clean sugar. Now go on." 

Ivy quickly pulled Rocky along towards Zib without missing a beat, even when Rocky stumbled and near fell flat on his face, again. Meanwhile, Mitzi’s smile fell and she turned to look at Viktor with a stern face. “Be straight with me Viktor, why did you bring him here?”

“He smelled funny,” Viktor replied, watching Ivy argue with Zib to give Rocky a place in the band, “not like leech or smelly- well, there was smell too but, something else not normal with him. In blood.” he tapped his ear, signifying where Rocky got injured. Mitzi nodded.

“I smelled that too, just wanted to be sure. So, we keep him here and keep an eye on him is that what you’re thinking?”

“If not, he’ll be eaten alive. Sick of saving little pups from bloodsuckers.”

“Speaking of pups, have you checked in to the last fella you saved? The one you so conveniently bit?” Viktor shrugged before turning his gaze skyward.

“We’ll see when full moon comes tomorrow, if he change, he become one of us. If not vell, then he dead.” Mitzi sighed, shaking her head.

“Bedside manners Viktor.”

Meanwhile, at the bandstand.

“Now Miss Pepper, just because you’re set to inherit this gin joint at some point, doesn’t mean you can just hire people off the street. No offense to you or your _talents_ Mr. Rickaby.” Zib remarked, sparing Rocky a brief glance before he lit his cig. Ivy inhaled deeply before bringing out the big guns. Getting up close, her eyes went real big and she glanced up at Zib through her dark lashes.

“Please Zib, just let him do a little audition for you? Not tonight of course but, tomorrow night right before we open!” Zib frowned, looking between Ivy and Rocky who suddenly took interest in the curtains. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed.

“One song before opening tomorrow, that’s it. Then we’ll talk.” Ivy gave a lovely grin before leaning up to press a kiss to Zib’s cheek, causing the man to smile despite himself. Rocky immediately lit up at the idea of having a regular gig again; granted, of course, he could manage to stick through it this time.

“Ah, gee thanks Zib! You’re a real sport, a true pal!” he exclaimed, putting Zib off with his wide grin and over-exuberant handshake right before Ivy pulled him away again. Zib merely shook his head, leaning against the stage as he watched them. Something was certainly off about that kid…

“Say, Rocky, do you have any brothers?” That caught Rocky off-guard.

“Brothers? Uh, no… but I do have a cousin! Name’s Calvin goes by Freckle, a real cutie! He’s all banged up at the moment though. Why you ask, lookin’ for a date?” He raised a teasing brow down at Ivy who pouted.

“Yes actually, my last boyfriend won’t talk to me anymore and I want a date for tomorrow’s full moon, it’s huge around here with all the pointy-toothed folks.” 

“How did you get mixed up in all this anyway, don’t see any other flat tooths around here.” Rocky’s gaze passed a gambling table where a large lycan, sporting ears, and a tail along with claws, was dealing out cards for Blackjack to a table of vamps. 

“My dad was a hunter, but not like, ‘all evil must die stab stab’ more like, a peacekeeper of sorts. He was on real good terms with Atlas, good enough he named him my godfather- ironic, I know,” Ivy giggled before smiling fondly around the place, “these people, this place is my home and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” The amount of fondness she held for this place was evident in her eyes and words, and Rocky found himself moved by it. Damn, wouldn’t it be something to feel something like that for himself one day… Sure, he had Freckle but, much less nowadays.

But maybe… just maybe, he had a new chance here.

“Ya don’t say…” he replied almost dreamily when a hand on his other arm stopped him suddenly and near jerked his limb out of his socket. He gave a yelp before turning to see a portly man staring up at him.

“Horatio? What’s the matter, shouldn’t you be at the door?”

“Gentleman wanted me to give this to you, said you might be looking for lodgings?” Rocky’s ears perked up at lodgings, sure he may have been able to stay at a hotel for tonight but after that, the only plan he had was sleeping in the back of his car. Horatio gave him a neatly folded piece of paper that was straight at all edges and held a perfectly penned address and phone number in its contents. Rocky’s eyes widened as he recognized the street as being part of the downtown, and the  _ nice  _ part too!

“Uh, thanks? Who gave you this?” he asked, but Horatio’s gaze was steady and almost trancelike. 

“Just a good samaritan, he says to call if you’re interested. Good evening sir, Miss Pepper.” and with that the doorman returned to his post, leaving Rocky and Ivy a little dumbfounded. After a moment, he turned to look at Ivy.

“Can I borrow your phone?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So I'm gonna add slow burn and other tags bc looks like this is gonna be a long one folks! More fun for me ;3


	6. First Meeting

**_HE WAITED_ **

Compelling that hapless doorman had been a simple matter, and he left it so that the man wouldn’t remain with scrambled eggs for brains afterward. An extra measure he took out of courtesy for his old employer and his widowed mate, nothing more. Besides, the less of a breadcrumb trail he left, the better. Just because the bar was sinking, didn’t mean that he was prone to the habit of kicking a dead horse. 

If his assumptions were correct, which they always were, then that young boy should be calling any second now. He saw the state of his dress and car, an absolute travesty to the scriptures of cleanliness but the vampire had little other option if he was going to get the proper use out of him. Rocky, he called himself. What a ridiculous name. 

Sipping on a glass of AB positive (male, mid-forties, casual smoker but not too overpowering), the man stood by the window of his penthouse watching the streets of St. Louis slowly pulse below him. Nowhere near as crowded or consistent like the streets of New York, with ebbs and flows that signified the passage of time. But, the night traffic was enough to be considered white noise to him. He'd have to write to his sisters again soon.

His musings were interrupted when the phone suddenly rang, rattling on its hook. Glancing back at it, he quickly finished his drink before moving to answer it.

“Hello?” he said briskly.

“Oh, uh… I got your note? About a room to rent? This is the right number, yeah? If not, curse my stubby fingers!” Ah, that was Mr. Rickaby’s voice on the other side, surprisingly well-spoken if you could ignore the high pitched quality of the voice. The man eased a little, relieved that it wasn’t Sweets or some other Atlas-wannabe trying to gain his favor again.

“Ah, of course. I’m glad you called, I was just having a,” he glanced at his bloodstained glass, “nightcap.” Quickly he took out a hanky and wiped the remains of his dinner off of his lips.

“Oh! Well, sorry for interrupting but, I wanted to call ahead before I just turned up on your doorstep but, uh, any chance that I could come by tonight? Don’t feel much like slumming it. I don’t have much, just myself and my small bag! Oh, and my car now but I can just park that anywhere.” Mr. Rickaby was laughing but the man would hear the layer of nerves leftover from tonight’s assault in his voice. A natural fear. Still, the idea of having the boy in his abode  _ tonight  _ while unplanned, held its benefits too. The sooner the boy could be here, the sooner he could commence his own machinations. Out of the eyes of both Marigold and Lackadaisy.

“I don’t see why not. I expect rent at the door, five dollars a month.” At the sound of coughing on the other end, he held the receiver further from his face on instinct, even if there was no chance of spit landing on his face. He just found the very sound disgusting to his senses.

“Five? Just five? You, sir, are truly an angel sent to me from Heaven to offer me shelter like this!” The flowery language he’d have to get used to, but it would be temporary. Truly he had no need for money with his particular connections, but it would lull Mr. Rickaby into the right kind of security he needed for his plan to work. Chances are, Mitzi told the boy already just what sort of creatures stalk the streets of St. Louis these days, the bleeding heart, but that didn’t mean he had to reveal his own nature so soon.

When he did, well, it would be only minutes before the boy was removed from the picture entirely.

“Yes, five. And I expect you to keep your spaces clean, am I clear?” he spoke, turning to face the window just as the moon illuminated directly into his window, reflecting off the surface of his glasses.

“Crystal Mr… I don’t believe I caught your name before?”

“Heller, Mordecai Heller. You can call me Mr. H.”

~~~

‘Mr. H.’ huh? Rocky stood at the bottom of the apartment complex found at the address on the note, staring up at the building that looked like only people with mountains of dough could live. Guess that would explain the cheap rent, he figured. The room was listed as Penthouse number 8, and the instructions on the note said to ring the bell and take the elevator immediately up. Mr. H. seemed to have everything just so… if the phone call was anything to go by, Rocky suspected that he was probably a neat freak.

Ah well, can’t argue with five dollars a month! 

Smiling brightly, Rocky grabbed his case and practically skipped to the front door, buzzing the appropriate ringer for Penthouse 8. There was no answer, but the front door clicked open almost a second after he rang. He stepped into the lobby, pristine and manned by a receptionist who looked at him like he just dragged a dead body through the front door. Rocky simply tipped his hat towards her before moving right for the elevator. Completely unaware that he left a trail of muddy footprints on the floor for her to clean up.

On the way up, Rocky had time to go over all that he learned tonight; a speakeasy under a cafe housing boozers and  _ boo- _ zers alike. Perhaps he had fallen into some sort of fairytale, but instead of Hans Christian Anderson, he fell face-first into Brothers Grimm. Complete with extra sharp teeth! Which brought his mind back to Mr. H. Was he human? Also, why contact him through a note and a messenger? 

He knew about Lackadaisy, but that didn’t automatically make him not human; maybe he was like Miss Pepper, a hunter guy? If so, then it would be nice to have more human company! The elevator dinged and when Rocky stepped out he saw there was only one door in the hall; Number 8. Did this guy own the whole damn floor?!

Gulping, Rocky suddenly felt a bit nervous.  _ Smile and a melody little Rock,  _ he reminded himself before going up and knocking out a shave and a haircut. Instead of two bits, he was met face to face with this mysterious Mr. H. 

Mr. H. stood half a head taller than himself, and Rocky felt whatever greeting he had ready die in his throat under the intensity of that green-eyed stare, highlighted by the round spectacles. Slicked back black hair, not a strand out of place, and dressed as if he just came out of a fancy dinner party instead of just having a nightcap. He had the face of a scholar, found in the darkened halls of academia, all sharp lines and high cheekbones under pale skin. The well-groomed brows only added to the effect. Rocky looked down at his own clothes, wrinkled and slightly dirty from his attack, and offered Mr. H. an apologetic grin.

“Good evening Mr. H, again I have to thank you for being so hospitable on such short notice. I um, unfortunately, had a face to face with the street before so I may look a little rough and tumble now but I assure you I always put my best foot forward when I try!” Rocky stuck his hand out, Mr. H staring at it like it had personally offended him before slowly accepting it. It was then Rocky noticed Mr. H. wore black gloves. Odd. “You cold?”

“Good evening to you too Mr. Rickaby,” his voice was deep yet crisp, cutting through the air like a knife. Mr. H. pulled back and stepped aside to let Rocky through, “as for being cold, no, I just don’t care for getting my hands dirty unless absolutely necessary.” Thus confirming Rocky’s suspicion, neat freak. 

“Mr. Rickaby? Oh Lord no that won’t do, just call me Rocky! Wow, this is quite the place you got here Mr. H!” Rocky was in awe of the man’s space, not too extravagant like he was expecting someone to own a whole story to themselves but comfortably furnished all the same. His eyes immediately landed on a bookshelf near the stove, quickly scanning over some of the titles.

“Rocky,” Mr. H. replied incredulously, “Is that your actual name?”

“Nah, the name’s Roark but only my aunt calls me that. To everyone else, I’m just Rocky! Quite the collection you got here Mr. H, Plato, Socrates, and ol Billy Shakes too!” That caused one of Mr. H’s brows to rise slightly.

“You, read Shakespeare?” he asked almost disbelievingly. Rocky set his case down and immediately set down his case and assumed the pose of a love-stricken hero, head held high and hand over heart as he began to recite;

“ _ I am, my lord, as well derived as he, As well possess'd; my love is more than his; My fortunes every way as fairly rank'd, If not with vantage, as Demetrius'; And, which is more than all these boasts can be, I am beloved of beauteous Hermia: Why should not I then prosecute my right? _ ” 

“Lysander,  _ A Midsummer Night’s Dream. _ ” Mr. H. replied automatically, causing Rocky to beam brightly.

“A personal favorite of mine. I also dabble in writing the odd verse myself now again.”

“Yes, I recall. Loudly, at train stations.” Rocky’s face immediately fell and his expression grew blank with confusion. “This morning, on the bench? You,  _ recited,  _ a line about being this city’s white knight much to the chagrin of myself and other people.”

Oh.  _ Oh!  _ “Oh right,  _ you!  _ Gee, what a small world we live in! Well, I certainly hope we get along Mr. H. and once again, thanks for the room. Oh, right! You wanted rent yeah?” Rocky reached into his pockets and ruffled around while Mr. H. watched, expression pinched slightly. Perhaps, this wasn’t a good idea…

“Aha! Here it is, five good ol’ American dollars for the month!” Rocky pulled out the crumpled wad and held it out to Mr. H, who only stood with his hands behind his back and glanced towards the side table. Still a tough crowd... Rocky, smiling faltering slightly, set the money down and picked up his case, “So, where’s my room?”

This was going to be a challenge. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: 6 chapters in and we finally get a proper sight of our cranky boi. Hence why I added slow burn as a tag ehehe


	7. Hunger

**_HUNGRY_ **

That was the first thought in Rocky’s head the second he woke up. Blinking slowly, he sat up in bed and took a moment to take in his surroundings. Huh, this was a pretty room… wait, why was he in a pretty room again? To his left on a side table, Rocky spotted a note addressed to him from a… Mr. H? 

_ Mr. H!  _ That’s right! Last night after he left, he got a room to rent… right off the bat? Rocky flopped back on to his pillow before taking the note and reading it sleepily. 

_ Mr. Rickaby, _

_ I’ve had to go out for some errands and I will not return until late this evening. You may help yourself to anything in the fridge but be sure to  _ _ clean everything _ _ before you leave.  _

_ I will not hesitate to raise your rent. _

_ ~Mr. H. _

Well, that was a good note to wake up on. Geez, this guy could afford a  **fridge** of all things… but the threat of rising rent was very real and Rocky wasn’t going to test that so soon! Getting dressed, he noticed that it was already well past noon, and from how quiet things were outside the door, maybe Mr. H. probably wasn’t home yet? Must be some errands. As he went to the kitchen, he left his bed unmade.

Later, as he munched on some toast and sipped some coffee (fresh out of a new tin he noted), Rocky went over everything he learned in the past twenty-four hours. One, vampires and werewolves were real (although according to Viktor they preferred to be called Lycans). Two, his cousin was probably attacked by one of these said vampires or lycans based on what he gathered from last night. Three, he had to play for a bunch of vampires and lycans tonight and play well enough so that they would give him a job.

Four, did that cafe serve pancakes? 

Before anything else, he had to go see Freckle. Rocky debated telling him about what he learned but, maybe he already knew? He made quick work of cleaning up before heading out the door, finding a spare set of keys on a hook near the door. 

Something told him that whatever the hell he stumbled upon, this was only the beginning. For a normal person, that would be cause for fear. For Rocky, it served only to pull a manic grin across his face. 

~~~

Smoke drifted from a recently lit cigar, held between two pudgy fingers as the man stared out of the blinds of the window. Despite the smile on his face, his eyes were anything but jovial as he watched cars roll by from his ground-floor office. Outside the door he could hear reception calling in new reservations, the promise of new revenue usually pleasing to his ear but today, they were just background noise. Swiveling in his chair, he turned to face the two others situated in his office.

“And you’re certain that you saw the Daisy open its doors last night?” he asked. The woman shrugged.

“Sure did  _ cher,  _ open and swingin’ like fireflies,” Serafine replied, her smile was all knives. Beside her, Nico almost looked bored, staring at a random spot on the wall while the man on the chair sighed.

“I warned Mitzi if she kept opening her doors that there would be problems. Now, I don’t mean no disrespect to a woman of her situation but she is in no position to be running anything right now, you hear?” the man looked to his companions but they looked back impassively. He sighed again. “And where did Wes run off to? Boy was supposed to be back here before sunrise.”

At that, Nico broke his trance and smirked before procuring a bundle of fabric and tossing it on the man’s desk. A pile of clothes, covered in dust and blood. The man frowned and shook his head.

“The Reaper?” he took Savoy's silence as confirmation before pinching his brow, “I’ll never understand that boy’s head sometimes. He’d have all the sustenance in the world if he came to work with us!”

“Dat’s de ting with dem Reapers baws, de are extremely stubborn when it comes to deir… habits. Dis one in particular.” Nico chuckled, sharing a glance with his sister, “besides, dat blood dere? Have a sniff Sweets.” The man, Sweets, furrowed his brow before doing as asked, his nose twitching with each scent he caught. Death naturally, the usual rotten stick of vampire, dirty water and…

Wait.  _ It couldn’t be?!  _

“Is this what I think it is Savoy? Here?” his gaze was piercing as Sarefine nodded.

“ _ Un joli petit garçon, monsieur  _ Rocky Rickaby as he presented himself to us.”

“Real nice on da fiddle if you get me,” Nico chimed while Sweets wiped his forehead.

“Do you know where he is now?”

“Wes tried to do him in  _ cher  _ but the old wolf at da Daisy stepped in, where he may be now,  _ nous ne savons pas enfins. _ ” 

“Find out. If the Daisy gets their hands on… well, that would be very unlucky for us wouldn’t it? Go, tell me what you find out.” The siblings said not a word as they left, smiling all the while Sweets took a hanky and wiped the sweat from his brow. Of course, just when things were starting to look up, this new  **child** had to come to ruin it all. Offhand, Sweets almost felt a little sorry for the boy, from what he gathered from the Savoys, chances are he had no idea just what he was.

Probably for the better. At least he could live his final days in peaceful ignorance. 

~~~

Nina sighed the moment she heard a familiar shave and a haircut get knocked out on her front door. Back so soon huh? She was met with her nephew’s smiling face at the door and she did her best to put on a calm expression.

“Guess who? Me! How’s the big guy doing?” Rocky asked, starting to make his way in but she stopped him, much to his visible confusion.

“He’s asleep, he’s feeling particularly woozy today and I don’t think it would be good for you to excite him,” she replied firmly.

“Pfft, me? Excite him? Dear Auntie Nina when have I ever-?” his rhetorical question was immediately silenced by her icy cold glare. Clearing his throat, he shuffled about on the front porch. “I got a job. Or well, a job interview tonight.”

“Oh? What sort of job?”

“Fiddlin’! For a  _ respectable  _ little joint just outside of downtown! One of the servers was particularly moved by my performance last night and she practically begged the owner to hire me on the spot. I got a real good feeling about this one, this time your boy’s gonna stay right here in St. Louis!” That’s just what Nina was afraid to here.

“Well, we’ll see about that. Come back later if you wish to see Calvin Roark, he should be awake just before dinner. Oh and, if you need laundry done,” she glanced down at his slightly rumpled appearance, “best leave it with me. Lord knows what you’d do with an iron.” 

“C’mon, it wasn’t that bad last time was it?”

“There’s still a mark on my coffee table Roark.” 

“Oh… my bad?” Nina looked unimpressed but sighed.

“I best go check on Calvin. Take care of yourself, Roark.” 

“I always do!” Just as he was about to turn and walk away, Nina grabbed his arm and fixed him with a stern expression.

“I mean it child, don’t do anything reckless.” Rocky started, this sudden show of concern for his well-being, not something he’d come to expect from the likes of his aunt. Looking down to the hand grasping his arm, Rocky felt a slight twinge of  _ resentment  _ at that particular hand. Where the hell was it when he left this house for good a few years ago? With that thought in mind, he wrenched his arm from his grip.

“When has that ever stopped me before, hm? See you around, Nina.” Nina could only watch as Rocky walked away, a defiant hop to his step that was a picture of good cheer. He wouldn’t let her see how much things like this really hurt him sometimes. As he got into his car, he glanced briefly up at Freckle’s window before looking back at the porch. As expected, she wasn’t there. 

Sighing, he started to rev up the engine when his eye caught something posted on a near telephone pole. A missing poster. Correction, several missing posters of various men and women. One in particular he swore he recognized, a man with weasel-like features and a mean grin he swore hid fangs. Off-handedly he rubbed the tip of his ear. As he looked at the other posters, he noticed two things; a) they were all relatively fresh-looking in relation to each other, and b) the last seen dates? They were all from this year.

Oh St. Louis, have you always been this way?

~~~

Hungry.

Still hungry. He had woken up just as sunset started and he was voracious. The man’s corpse had long since gone cold and due to his voracious appetite, the monster had all but drained the body of blood. But it didn’t matter. He was still  _ hungry.  _ Snarling in disgust, the creature quickly wiped his mouth clean and stuffed the ruined hanky in his pocket before licking whatever droplets had gotten on his sleeves. Hunting during daylight was risky, but it was a necessity to keep up with the insistent hunger. 

How he had been reduced to behaving like a savage _animal,_ scrounging and relying on scraps, he couldn’t bear to think about. Looking down at his hands, he coldly removed one of his gloves and grimaced at the skin underneath. Pale, almost ashen with the veins looking almost black in the light. With the new sustenance, he watched as the spiderweb slowly vanished and the skin took on a healthier color, but it wouldn’t last. 

The hunger, it was getting worse. And killing his weaker competitors and brethren wasn’t cutting it anymore. At the thought, he looked down at the corpse and sighed.

Clean-up first. Then, he could get back to his problem.

~~~

Later that evening, Rocky sat in The Little Daisy having scarfed down an entire plate of pancakes Ivy had been generous enough to provide him with but not so generous as to give him a helping of seconds. Pouting, he resorted to drinking his remaining syrup while staring out the window. Was he a bit nervous to play for these vamps? Nervous only in the healthy pre-performance adrenaline type way that left one feeling hyper-focused and buzzing with energy. Or maybe that was the syrup. 

A sudden change in the light had him looking up at the sky, still purple with the setting sun. Huh, a full moon tonight. That's right, Ivy did mention that there was some special shindig going on at the club tonight for the full moon.

“No wonder Viktor seems exceptionally grumpy today, huh Ives?” Rocky remarked, grinning up at Ivy as she cleared some tables nearby.

“Full moon does that to all Lycans, but he’s an alpha so he’s used to it.”

“You mean there are different types?”

“Sure are! Alpha, Beta, Omega. To put it simply, Alphas are the strongest and the leaders of packs, Betas make up the numbers while Omegas are the newbies; bit or born alike. Viktor’s different because he's an Alpha without a pack.” Ivy explained. 

“You don’t say, who wouldn’t want to be under the thumb of someone so… cheerful?” Both Rocky and Ivy sniggered. 

“I keep telling him the lone wolf act isn’t healthy, especially for a man his age but he won’t listen to me. Although, I heard him and Mitzi talking earlier… apparently, he bit someone.” Rocky perked at that.

“Bit? That a big deal?”

“Of course! He’s an  _ Alpha,  _ their bites are what creates new lycans! Apparently he bit a poor fella who was close to death after getting accosted by a Fer; that’s short for Feral, a vamp who basically goes nuts if they don’t eat. Anyways, this is the first full moon so they’re keeping an ear out.”

“For… what?”

“For whether or not the guy changes! Duh!” Rocky let out a puff of air, who knew there were so many rules to having extra sharp teeth and-? 

Wait a moment.

“When did this attack happen?” It was rare that Rocky spoke without a smile, but he had a hunch he hoped to God was wrong- again, a rare occurrence. 

“Couple weeks ago, why?” Rocky felt the floor move from underneath him and he almost slid down onto the dirty floor.

“Oh, sweet angels and cherubs above…”

“What’s wrong Rocky?” Ivy asked, but before she could get an answer Zib, Mitzi and Viktor burst into the cafe from the club entrance behind the shelf-hiddendoor-panel thing, Viktor immediately running outside with a growl. “Mitzi? Zib? What’s wrong?”

“We got word from one of our friends, the boy’s changed and on the rampage,” Mitzi said, frowning when she caught sight of Rocky looking white as a sheet, “Are you alright sugar?”

“That’s ah, he’s ah…. Um… cousin.” 

“What?” the other three asked simultaneously.

“My cousin… your new pup… I think that’s my cousin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So many POVS (which is well in the Lackadaisy spirit tbh) and yet ANOTHER cliffhanger. Enjoy!


	8. Everybody Panic

**_PANIC_ **

It was rare for Rocky to feel anything but nervous glee or full-on manic joy in what he does but when it came to his cousin, it was a gamble. This time, he was full-on panicking. What if someone thought Freckle was a feral dog and shot him? Could lycans be killed so easily? For once, his cousin’s affliction had little to do with Rocky pulling him into something but he still felt  _ guilty  _ for not connecting the dots sooner.

Freckle had even warned him and he didn’t believe him then, he was such an idiot-!

“Over there!” Ivy shot out of the passenger seat to point right across Rocky’s field of vision and he nearly swerved into oncoming traffic in shock.

“Ivy Pepper sit down!” Mitzi cried from the back seat, clinging on to Zib who looked like he was hanging on for dear life. Or rather, the afterlife. Ivy immediately sat down but Rocky turned and saw what she was pointing at. Two large fuzzy shapes, one smaller than the other, running behind a row of houses near where Nina lived. Rocky slammed his foot on the gas.

“Hold on!” Everyone scrambled to do so as Rocky steered sharply around a corner, the wheels screeching along the asphalt as the vehicle peeled along the road. Immediately after, a dead-end approached and Rocky had to slam on the brakes without warning, causing everyone to lurch forward as the car skidded to a halt.

“Watch it, kid!” Zib yelled, rubbing his head before he ran outside. Mitzi was close to following however she turned sharply to Rocky and Ivy.

“You two stay here, a new Omega is dangerous until the Alpha subdues him.”

“But Mitzi, I’ve been  _ training  _ for this let me help!”

“Freckle’s my cousin Miss M, maybe I can-?” 

“No!” both humans shut up at her authoritative tone before her expression softened slightly. “This will be over in a jiffy, just hang tight for me alright?” Neither of them had a chance to answer before she jogged in the same direction that Zib went. Rocky gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white, gaze fixated on the group of trees where one could barely hear the sounds of growls and snarls over the cascade of crickets. Ivy looked at him, no less nervous but trying to smile.

“Hey, it’ll be alright. Mitzi will take care of things and Viktor’s the best Alpha I know… your cousin will be fine.” Despite Ivy’s comforting words, Rocky only shook his head.

“You don’t know Freckle no offense, he’s a damn good kid and if he’s hurt someone the fact’s gonna haunt him for life.”

“Listen, do you hear sirens? No! No police, no dead bodies. It’s going to be all-” All of a sudden a loud yelp echoed through the night and Rocky immediately jumped to action, reaching into the back seat and pulling out a small case- his violin case, before running out the car leaving the door wide open.

“I’m coming Freckle!”

“Rocky  _ wait!  _ He won’t- ugh,  _ men!”  _ Ivy grunted before taking off after him, grabbing a flashlight for good measure. 

The pair of them ran right into the forest, following the sounds of growls as they got louder the close they got. Ivy’s flashlight cast harsh shadows on fallen trees and branches, ghoulish faces emerging where they simply weren’t everywhere Rocky looked. A loud crash to the right startled the pair and they ran straight for the source of the sound. They arrived at a clearing, and Rocky’s eyes grew wide as dinner plates as he saw what was happening under the light of the fool moon

Two large wolves, bipedal and muscular, were tearing at each other’s throats with a ferocity Rocky only read about in nature mags. One was large, covered in black fur splattered with greying patches, and had a nasty scar through one red eye- Viktor, without a doubt. Even as a wolf his glare was terrifying. Which meant the other wolf, smaller by comparison to Viktor’s bulk with dark reddish fur and amber eyes, had to be Freckle. 

Sweet, wide-eyed Freckle, was this snarling wolf-creature currently trying to sink his teeth into Viktor’s shoulder. Mitzi and Zib stood a distance away, Zib standing in front of Mitzi as they worked to contain the fighting to just that area. Viktor eventually found an opening and cuffed Freckled across the face, sending him flying across the space to crash harshly against a tree. Freckle whimpered at the impact.

“Freckle!” Rocky yelled, about to run to him if it weren’t for Ivy holding him back. Zib and Mitzi turned towards the two in shock, Viktor snarling as his single eye landed on Rocky.

“Dammit kid, get outta here!” Zib yelled but it was too late. Freckle had recovered and turned his gaze towards Rocky and Ivy. Without even thinking, Rocky quickly grabbed and pushed Ivy away from him, causing her to fall but be caught by Mitzi (how did she get there so fast?) but before he could run himself, the wind was knocked out of him as Freckle pounced him, growling in his face.

“Rocky!” Ivy yelled, trying to break out of Mitzi’s grip.

“Freckle? C’mon buddy, I know you’re in there.” Rocky said quietly, trying to give him his best smile. Freckle only snarled, rearing back to bite into Rocky’s neck. With his arms pinned, he couldn’t play but… maybe…? “Hey, before you bite me, remember that ol’ song your Ma used to sing to us? Bout the girl, Molly? Here, I'll sing a stanza..." his voice was shaky from fear and raspy from lack of use, but it carried a soft echo even a rabbit could hear from across the valley. Viktor and the vamps were transfixed while Ivy just looked downright confused.

_ In Dublin’s fair city _

_ Where girls are so pretty _

_ ‘Twas there I first met with _

_ Sweet Molly Malone” _

_ “She drove a wheelbarrow _

_ Through streets broad and narrow _

_ Crying, “Cockles and mussels, _

_ Alive, alive-o” _

“What the hell is he...? Doing?” Zib asked, but Mitzi held up her hand, pointing at Freckle.

“Look!” And sure enough, Freckle had stopped growling. His lips were still pulled back in a fierce snarl, but he pulled back from Rocky’s face, massive paws retreating back as the large wolf tilted his head. 

_ “Alive, alive-o _

_ Alive, alive-o _

_ Crying, “Cockles and mussels, _

_ Alive, alive-o” _

Rocky continued to sing, wincing slightly as he looked down and saw that Freckle's new claws not only ripped up his last good suit jacket but his arm as well which was bleeding heavily. Both Zib and Mitzi stiffened at the smell, but Mitzi quickly turned to Viktor.

“Now!” The large Alpha wolf quickly sprung into action and while Freckle was distracted, sunk his fangs into the back of Freckle’s neck. Freckle howled in pain, the sound reverberating over the tops of the trees and sending a cold shiver of fear down Rocky’s spine. No matter how hard the smaller wolf struggled, Viktor’s grip did not relent and eventually, Freckle’s struggling died down and he went limp, panting softly. Only then, did Viktor let him go. 

Freckle fell forward on his fur-covered arms, claws flexing in the dirt as he tried shaking off the pain. Looking up, his eyes fixed on Rocky and they looked so… well, like  _ Freckle’s  _ eyes again. Big, curious, and in this instance, sad as they fixed on the dark part of Rocky’s arm. Rocky held a thumbs-up along with a big grin.

“You’re all good buddy, just a scratch,” Rocky assured, struggling to keep his arm up despite the pain. Viktor let out a small chuff and Freckled quickly ran up to him, much more subservient than before. The two wolves stared at each other for a moment, Viktor’s single eye appraising and stern before they turned and ran off into the woods. “Where are they going?”

“Viktor’s accepted your cousin under his paw, so to speak. He’s gonna make sure nothing else happens until sunrise, but more importantly, look at your arm!” Ivy exclaimed, running over to inspect the wound while Mitzi and Zib kept their distance.

“Take him back to the cafe Ivy, get him patched up. We’ll stay here in case Viktor needs us, right Zib?” Mitzi turned to look at her companion, but Zib’s gaze was fixated on Rocky. More specifically, the blood pouring down his arm. “Zib honey? You did feed tonight right?” Still no answer. Mitzi had to grab Zib’s jacket and pull him back, though through his glazed out state he fought her, fangs peeking out from under his lips as he growled.

“Oh damn, c’mon Rocky you have to leave.” Ivy struggled to pull Rocky to his feet before starting to drag him away.

“Wait, Sophia!” Rocky broke away to grab his violin case which had fallen before running to catch up to Ivy. Meanwhile, Mitzi had forced Zib to look at her as she talked him down from going into a craze, his posture, and expression stiff all the while. Rocky watched the two before he and Ivy left the glen, hurrying back towards the car.

“Rocky, I swear you are either the luckiest sonuvagun I’ve ever met or the stupidest. No, definitely the stupidest! What the heck were you thinking? You can’t just call out to a packless omega like that! Not to mention, Zib looked like he was ready to turn you into  _ fillet mignon  _ back there! That never happens, but even so, any moron should think that you’d bolt the moment you start bleedin’ in front of a vamp! God!” Ivy threw her hands up in the air just as the two of them broke the tree line and caught sight of the car. Rocky rubbed the back of his head, whinging when he remembered his head-rubbing arm was still bleeding. 

“He’s my cousin, what was I supposed to do?”

“ _ Not  _ run at him when he’s a wolf that’s twice your size!” Ivy sighed, walking around to the driver’s seat and getting in while Rocky got in on the passenger side, holding his violin case to his chest, “still… I never saw an omega, or any lycan really, go all docile like that from anyone _singing_ … what did you do?” Rocky merely shrugged, avoiding eye contact. Ivy shifted the car into gear and started the ignition, however with her height she had trouble reaching the peddles.

“Just sang an old song my aunt used to sing. Thought it would bring him around or something. Sure you don't want me to drive?”

"Yeah, I got it one sec! You nearly killed us on the way here with **two** arms intact, what use is that torn up chunk of flesh gonna do you? Rocky didn't have any argument for her and he kept silent for once, nodding before turning to look out the window. Out towards the trees where, somewhere in there, his cousin was learning how to wolf it under the light of the full moon. What a mad, mad world they all lived in. Without another word, they drove off back towards the cafe while the sound of a wolf’s howl rang out across the night air.

Somewhere else in the city, a man in black paused in his current activity of draining some poor sap one of his contracts needed taken care of to look up into the sky, his interest piqued at the sound of a wolf's cry, followed quickly by another, smaller sounding this time . Frowning, he shook his head slightly before sinking his fangs back into the torn-up neck, a low grumble of animalistic satisfaction leaving his chest as the dead man's blood filled his stomach. 

This was a night for monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yes Rocky, you're cousin's a wolfy now!


	9. Daylight

**_DAMN DAYLIGHT_ **

Mordecai loathed daylight, or rather, being forced to stay awake past sunrise. His head hurt and his eyes, already sensitive to most stimuli, stung in the light. Unfortunately, vampirism wasn’t a cure for congenital myopia so that was an extra nuisance. Normally, by the time the first rays were out and he had delivered the work concerning his ‘day job’ he’d retire into his windowless room and succumb to a dreamless sleep of the dead.

Not today, because apparently his new tenant hadn’t gotten home yet. And if it weren’t for Mordecai’s particular  _ interest _ in the boy,  he wouldn’t have cared as long as he paid his rent and kept the space clean. But an opportunity like this doesn’t just drop into your lap every day, or every decade even… if he lost Rocky well, that would just be rotten luck.

Just as he rubbed his temple to chase away the headache, his nose picked up something he hadn’t expected to spell at this time. Blood,  _ Rocky’s  _ blood. He had caught the faintest whiff of it the night before last, from the scratch on his ear. Then, he had been well-fed and more than capable of blocking the smell out. But this time, there was more of it and he felt his fangs itch at the scent.

That  _ scent.  _ Fresh, yet energizing, underlined with a sweetness that was not too overpowering despite the boy’s insane sugar intake (really, who drinks syrup straight?), but there was something else. Something, extra that lulled to his ever-present hunger like a sailor to a siren. A promise of-

“Mr. H?” Rocky’s voice from the other side of the door was enough to jar him out of his stupor and he quickly turned, covering his mouth and nose for a moment before answering.

“Yes?” He heard the door slowly open and Rocky stepped in, and Mordecai caught a more sobering scent coming off of him. Lycan. Frowning, he turned to look at his tenant’s sorry state. The boy merely smiled nervously, grasping his injured arm close as he shuffled in place. Instead of asking anything, Mordecai simply raised a brow.

“I happened to run into a vicious dog last night, a hellhound more like it, straight from the depths of Hades himself!” Rocky exclaimed.

“Itself.” Mordecai corrected. Rocky’s expression pinched in confusion.

“Huh?”

“Hades, while it serves as the Grecian title for the Greco-Roman God of the Underworld in classics, is only a ‘He’ when referring to the figure. Not the place.” 

“Oh… right. Guess the bloodless got my head all a jumble. Anyways, I was saved at the last moment and tended to by my future co-workers. However, in my fervor to get home I overestimated my strength and wound up asleep in my car's backseat.” Ah, that would explain the rumpled state of what remained of his clothes.

“I see. For the record, I would abstain from calling Lycans hellhounds in the future Mr. Rickaby, for all their growling their hubris can be astounding, hellhounds are entirely different,” Now that pulled a look of genuine surprise from Rocky, “Anyone who knows of the Daisy tends to know of the more incredible patrons they serve Mr. Ricky, myself included.”

“So, that goes to say you’re also… incredible?” Rocky responded slowly, causing Mordecai to sigh.

“What do you think?” For that, all he got was a blank response. Hm, perhaps the blood loss damaged his brain capacity as well, “So, you got the job then?” That seemed to snap Rocky out of it.

“Oh! Yes indeed, despite my injury after Miss Pepper patched me up Mr. Zib was kind enough to offer me the spot right there and then! But I couldn’t honestly accept without first proving my prowess, and it may have torn a few bandages but they were nonetheless dazzled by my performance! They, gave me tonight off considering the circumstances,” he gestured to his arm, “But that gives me plenty of time to practice on the set! That, won’t be a problem, will it?”

“As long as you keep it to your room and don’t disturb my work, then we won’t have an issue. Now if you excuse me, I must retire. I’ve some personal matters left to do.” 

“No problem! Uh, what kind of work do you do exactly? That would afford you all, this?” Rocky gestured around the space but withered when Mordecai fixed him with a cold glare.

“That is none of your concern.” With that being said, the smell of blood was getting too strong to manage and Mordecai quickly retreated into his room. The heavy door blocked out the scent somewhat but the memory of it caused his fangs to elongate nonetheless. His bedside fridge held emergency stores for this particular reason but never during the day like this. He cracked open the bottle, still chilled from the fridge, and greedily chugged at its contents (Female, type o, killed with a cold still in her system) until he felt his hunger abide. With that settled, for now, a whole slew of questions whirled through his mind, one, in particular, standing out among the rest.

What makes you so damn special, Mr. Rickaby?

~~~

Rocky in the meantime, was left staring blankly after Mr. H had left. What  _ did  _ he think of Mr. H now that the question was asked? Frowning, he went to his room and promptly flopped backward on to his back on the bed. Ah, much more comfortable than his car seat. And no cactus with a face drawn into it that for some reason was _still alive_ after being abandoned for years. Still, his brain was far too wide awake for him to go back to sleep now.

He’d have to go back to the cafe soon, Ivy said that Viktor would be bringing Freckle back to the Daisy to recover from his first transformation, give him the rundown so to speak. He begged to stay but Mitzi was firm in her demand that he went home. Looked him straight in the eye and suddenly he lost all compulsion to fight her. Strange, but, guess that’s why she’s the boss lady! 

Damn, a werewolf cousin… or Lycan cousin. Nina was going to find  _ some way  _ to make this his fault, he was sure of it. Doesn’t matter if the attack happened before he even got into town, no she’ll probably comb through all the letters he and Freckle shared and find some line that must’ve convinced Freckle to go out the one time he would actually get hurt. Because it’s Rocky, horrible things happen around Rocky. 

Well, guess she was never finding out then.

Then, there was Mr. H. 

For the first time since he moved in, which is all of two nights now, Rocky wondered what the hell drove Mr. H.to offer him a room for so relatively cheap. Clearly, he didn’t need the money. And if he knew enough about Lackadaisy and its unique clientele, then maybe… he was lonely? It didn’t seem like he had many friends, while beautiful this apartment didn’t seem like one where you’d regularly entertain guests. 

Then again, his closed-off behavior didn’t speak of anyone looking for any company. 

“Curiouser and Curiouser said Alice,” Rocky mumbled, turning on his side the longer he thought about his mysterious landlord. Mordecai Heller… probably a Jew or grew up in a Jewish community. Not that Rocky minded, people sometimes gave him the stink-eye for his Irish surname in the more protestant part of the country he ended up in. Who knew better than him that one's familial religious background played really very little in how a person turned out? Still, Rocky wondered if Mr. H. had family nearby.

It’s always good to be able to fall back on family when needed. 

Plus, there was another thing that puzzled Rocky about Mr. H. He said he worked, clearly, and he would stay up late at night… was there no girl in his life? Rocky could name at least ten he’d met in the past who’d go completely goo-goo the moment they caught sight of Mr. H. Going back to his very apparent lack of desire to socialize, chances are that going out courting was not on Mr. H’s list of top priorities.

Pity, really, Rocky thought through a haze of exhaustion. Mr. H really was, for lack of a better word,  _ pretty,  _ for man. Pretty in the classic sense with sharp features and dark hair… plus those eyes that just, stared right through your soul, daring you to try and lie… it was dangerously alluring. 

The moment Rocky’s brain caught up to his train of thought he shot straight up and slapped himself  _ hard  _ across the face. Nope! None of those thoughts now, not today or ever thank you very much! He may be a lover, not a fighter, but a lover has his limits! Shaking his head furiously, trying to shake those treacherous thoughts out of his brain, Rocky reached down for his violin case and took out Sophia. Music, got to learn this music!

Looking at his door while he tuned her, a thought popped into his head and decided as a little warm-up, he’d play something else, something Mr. H, might know. A lot of people were surprised when he’d pull this one out of his repertoire, but the song carried a somber joy to it that was perfect for quiet moments. 

_ Raisins and Almonds,  _ a song he first heard in one of the ghettos in San Francisco. A song he immediately fell in love with, one he could play with his eyes closed.

Next door, in Mordecai’s room, having stripped to his smalls he was struggling to drift into the death-like slumber he needed to regain his energy for the night when the sound of Rocky’s violin playing rang through the walls. He was prepared to dismiss it when he recognized a segment of a tune that, he hadn’t heard in such a long time. Not since he left New York, and his mother and sisters, behind.

His brows furrowed slightly, but not in displeasure. Hm, the boy had some talent after all. Why he’d play that song of all things now was beyond him, but Mordecai nonetheless felt himself drift off to sleep along with each pull of the bow. His mother’s voice a distant echo in his ear… he’d have to write to her soon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright alright folks, things are starting to pick up here bit by bit~ As you can tell, I have added a few tags to keep an eye out for in this piece because the further I go the darker this is going to get so be aware and please be careful.


	10. Meanwhile

**_BACK AT THE DAISY_ **

Mitzi was up in her room, a martini in one hand while wrapped in a silk robe. It was rare for her to be up so late (read, early) but the events of the past couple nights were turning over in her head so that she couldn’t sleep. The young pup, Rocky’s cousin, Calvin, had taken to transforming back… relatively well. If, screaming and almost running out the door stark nude could be considered well. That was something the cousins shared at least. Once again, dear Ivy was paramount in calming the boy down, though her words this time were a bit more flirtatious than friendly.

Viktor did not approve, but the boy was part of his ‘pack’ now so the fact that he could keep his eye on him at all times calmed him down. Somewhat. Ivy insisted on driving the boy home herself. Mitzi shook her head with a rueful smile, dear girl, hopping from beau to beau like a hopper on speed. Still, it would mean an extra bit of muscle for the bar that was seriously needed. No offense to Rocky or his zeal, but she wasn’t sure how well he’d handle rum-running. Of course, they hadn't exactly broke it to Calvin yet that this was the sort of business they're running, so Mitzi hoped that with Rocky on board the pup could be sweet-talked into cooperating. Not that his status as an Omega left him much choice.

Of course, the cousins seemed to share a particular bond that transcended a lycan’s first transformation madness. Sending the pair out together, now that was a prospect she’d have to consider. Rocky was verbose and crafty- in his own way. Boy's got a tongue so slippery an eel couldn't keep hold of it. But besides his silver tongue and talent at fiddling, he severely lacked any intimidation or presence for this ice-water world. Or at least, so she had thought before she witnessed the boy running head-first to his cousin and doing the impossible. Thinking of last night, in particular, had her frowning.

Viktor and she had agreed the night they first met Rocky that the boy had a particular  _ quirk  _ to his scent, and it wasn’t until last night that Mitzi started to get a flicker of an idea just what that may be. Idly, her hand went to her neck as her mind drifted to her late husband and mate. Atlas told her many things and as his fledgling and partner, she had studied every bit of this underworld he had led her into. There was one tale told among the elder, elite vampires of St. Louis and other major cities and it was this particular tale she recalled now thinking of Rocky. But, she had to be sure first before she went forward in her plans.

And there was only one other vampire in the elder circle that she trusted enough to ask. 

Getting off of the window ledge she had been perched on, she immediately went to her phone and quickly dialed a number, the line ringing for a moment before a woman on the other side picked up.

“Good morning, Wick residence. Mr. Wick isn’t-”

“It’s me Lacey dear,” Mitzi interjected. She could almost hear the contemptuous frown on the cute little secretary's face from the other side of the phone.

“Mrs. May? What are you doing up so early?”

“No rest for the wicked I’m afraid dear. Is Sable there?” Like that was a question she had to ask. She could hear Lacey sigh on the other end.

“Yes, one moment.” Mitzi hummed and waited, the faint sounds of shouting and footsteps echoing in the background as she looked out the window. Soon, a man’s voice replaced Lacey’s and she immediately grinned.

“Well well Mitzi, look who decided to join the morning crowd!” Sable greeted, unnaturally chipper for one of their kind who had a habit of staying up too early. Wick was on the younger side of the elite pack, just over his first human lifetime and then some, but he was ambitious. Atlas had respected that ambition and the two often discussed matters of business and recreation. And, since Atlas's passing, Wick had been less than subtle to fill in as his replacement in Mitzi's life. Her heart ached for her late mate, but Wick was a warm light in this dark world. However, when Mitzi took charge of Atlas's bar and by default, Coven, a rift had opened that neither of them knew how to cross. 

Wick was an elite. Mitzi was a fledging leading a rag-tag coven. If Wick interfered or was caught helping in any way, it would be social and literal suicide from the rest of the elites. His one great advantage, and her bane. 

“Not by choice sugar, got a lot on my plate as you can imagine.”

“Sure, sure. I hope the place isn’t struggling too much. I’d help if I could Mitzi but-”

“Coven rules, I know Wick. But this isn’t about that, for the most part. I’ve had an interesting couple of additions to staff that I thought you might want to hear.”

“This another one of your pitches Mitzi?”

“More like, an inquiry. Calling in on a favor.” The line was silent for a moment before Wick responded.

“Well, best hear it then. If it’s really that important to you.”

“Thank you, Sable. Two of Marigold’s Fers were skulking around our garage, and within a fortnight they attacked two young men. Both are alive thank God, but things didn’t go so smoothly. One ended up joining Viktor’s pack.”

“You mean the ol’ dog finally took in a canine protege? That’s unlike him.”

“That’s what I thought too, and I can barely get a word out of him why he did but, coven members are harder to come by so I didn’t press too hard.”

“I see. And, the other?”

“The pup’s cousin as it was recently revealed to us, young thespian type. He had a funny scent to him Sable, and something happened last night that has me thinking we may have stumbled on something huge. Something that’s going to change a lot of things around here.”

“That’s pretty serious talk there Mitzi, what did this guy do?”

“He talked his cousin out of mauling him during his first full moon Sable, I’ve never seen any human do that before.” More silence on Wick’s end, the slight rustle of papers the only sound until Wick hummed.

“I have… once. Did he sing or do anything similar wise?” That caught Mitzi by a slight surprise.

“Why, yes he did. Some little Irish ditty but it did the trick. Pup was almost tame. Why, what does that mean?”

“Irish huh? What’s the family name?”

“Rickaby. Why Wick, what are you getting at with this?”

“If my suspicions are correct, then you’re right Mitzi; you’ve stumbled onto something huge here and if you’re not careful you’re going to attract a whole lotta trouble to your establishment. That being said, I can call in a few contacts to confirm what I think but, I’m not sure if I can do much else here.”

“I’ll always take another evening row on the lake for now.” Mitzi smiled as Wick chuckled on the other side.

“Now that I can probably handle. Be careful Mitzi, I’d hate to see you get hurt. I’ll call you as soon as I know for sure your thespian is what I think he is. And, when we can have that date.”

“I know Sable. And thank you, that’s perfectly fine.”

“I’m serious Mitzi, bad things always happen to covens when a Charmer gets involved.” Mitzi hummed as Wick hung up, replacing the phone onto the receiver gently before looking out the window one more time. She had to get some sleep, who knows what tonight might bring? And all nights to come later. 

~~~

Time moved on. Nightfall once more.

Mordecai sat up in his bed, head throbbing from the pain of waking up hungry. Hungry, why was he always so damned _hungry_ these past few nights? His fangs ached beneath his gums and his stomach lurched at the thought of opening one of his stores again. The specially treated blood took the edge off but nothing compared to draining a body dry. 

He had no contracts to fulfill tonight. Perhaps another added  _ benefit  _ of his curse, the fact that he did his job so well and so quickly, he thought ruefully. Mordecai felt no guilt over taking an innocent for his meal but he disliked it merely on the principle of the fact that it caused unnecessary panic among humans. There were too many missing posters of his victims around already, and he didn’t care to see their ghosts smiling back at him with the police’s contact underneath them. And where the police were interested, the hunters were often quick to follow

But, what had to be done, must be done. Maybe tonight he’d find a few other vamps or lycans about to sate his thirst. If he was really lucky, he’d find a witch. 

If he was really, _really_ lucky, he'd find someone from his own little list to feed on. 

Getting dressed was a meticulous affair, choosing each article for their effectiveness in hunting as well as overall style- after all, one shouldn’t look like they crawled out of a hole when they’re on the prowl for catching the attention of someone noteworthy. Briefly, he looked at his hands and grimaced. Already the skin was starting to fade to grey again. It would have to be at least three tonight, just to be safe. 

Before he left the penthouse, he took a small detour to the door of Rocky’s room. The door was slightly ajar, allowing him to peek through. A foolish move on the boy’s part, should Mordecai wish to do him harm any time soon, but then again accepting a stranger’s letting advertisement on the fly was overall quite foolish. But, it served his purpose.

Rocky appeared to be asleep, soft snores rumbling from the body curled haphazardly in the sheets. How on earth he managed to wake up every morning with such a bright smile and no sign of back pain was beyond Mordecai. Satisfied with his tenant’s apparent lack of consciousness, he wasted no more time in leaving the penthouse and making his way to the hallway window. 

The cool breeze hit his face the moment he slid the pane up, throwing one leg over the ledge followed by another. Leaving by this manner was much easier than explaining to the poor old doorman downstairs who covered the night shift where it was he went to so late. That way, no one could say they saw him leaving at strange hours should the police come sniffing his way; not that was likely to happen. 

With one final scan of the cityscape, Mordecai lept from the window and landed on the street below with the grace of a cat. Normally such a jump would severely injure if not kill a man, but then again, he wasn’t a man anymore. 

Unfortunately for him, his tenant was a master of faking sleep. Rocky had years of practice hiding his awakeness from his aunt during the days of his youth, it was all about making sure your eyes didn’t move in accordance to the sound of someone checking in on you. This skill came in handy on the rarest of occasions during his adulthood. Attempting to follow his mysterious landlord was one of those. 

Rocky poked his head out through the front door, brows furrowed when he witnessed Mr. H. literally jump out a damn window from behind a crack he made opening the front door! Quickly, he ran to the window and stared down at the street, catching the tails of Mr. H’s coat flutter around a corner before disappearing from view. Any thought he might have had that Mr. H. may be human… well it quite literally went out the window.

He couldn’t follow the way Mr. H. went, so he quickly ran back inside the apartment and grabbed an old coat of his that was a little too small now before going to the window in his room. The one that led down the fire escape. His descent was far less graceful or noiseless than Mr. H’s but he had to rush before he risked losing him! 

Tonight, he was going to get some answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: What's a Charmer you may be asking? Well... I'm not telling. But hey! We got Wick! And now, on to the some more juicy stuff...


	11. Revelations

**_HE DIDN’T LIKE THE CITY AT NIGHT._ **

The night felt lonely, desolate. Every time Rocky walked the streets under the cover of darkness he felt like each window he passed was taunting him for being outside. Tonight, however, he had a focus to keep his mind off those treacherous thoughts. A focus being his mysterious landlord and his nighttime habits. 

Keeping pace with him was tricky, Mr. H. was clearly used to making sure he wasn’t being tailed. Rocky had to keep a far enough distance so that he wouldn’t be spotted, or smelled, but close enough so that he wouldn’t lose sight of him once the man turned a corner. He had no idea how long he had been following Mr. H. for but the cold of the night was starting to seep into his bones and he caught himself rubbing his arms to stave off the chill.

“If you’re cold sugar, I can offer you a chance to warm up real good.” A feminine voice piped up suddenly from next to him. Rocky jumped as he spotted the nightwalker grinning up at him next to a building. Had they really gotten into  _ that  _ part of town? He smiled and politely shook his head.

“A generous offer miss but alas my attention is required elsewhere, so I must decline.” he turned to look where Mordecai had gone but he had already vanished around some. Shoot!

“Didn’t figure you for a nance but I ain’t judging. Your attention went down that road there.” the woman pointed with her cigarette towards a specific street corner. Rocky felt his stomach drop at the name but he didn’t have time to correct her before he lost his landlord again. Bowing his head in thanks he dashed off towards where she had pointed. The woman sighed, shaking her head before picking at a fang with her pinkie nail.

Boy was cute, shame he had to go get torn to bits by the Reaper, she thought. Oh well.

Sure enough, Rocky quickly found Mr. H. again only this time he wasn’t alone. It seems that for whatever reason Mr. H. came to this part of town, he found it. Turns out Rocky wasn’t the only one playing shadow tonight, only the fella Mr. H. was tailing seemed a lot more dangerous- a huge guy even from this distance. He watched as Mr. H. followed the guy down a corner and there was the sound of a scuffle echoing along the walls. Now, Rocky was certain that Mr. H. was no human by now, but even so the idea of him going up against that behemoth of a guy-!

Spaghetti arms or not, Rocky had to make sure his landlord was okay.

Quickly running to his landlord’s aid, what he expected to see was maybe Mr. H struggling to hold his own. What saw defied expectation, logic, and just pure sanity. Mr. H. had the big guy  _ on his knees,  _ eyes once green now bright red as he snarled down at him. Yup, those were definitely fangs in those lips. Vampire.

“I had hoped to finish this  _ quickly  _ and quietly but you just have to make things difficult, don’t you?” Mr. H. growled, looking down his nose at the other who had a massive gash down one shoulder. Rocky hid behind a corner, hand over his nose and mouth as he watched the other glare back up at his landlord.

“I told ya, I ain’t got nothing for your little book report so if you’re going to kill me then best get on with it already. Unless you’re the kind who likes to play with their food.” his impertinence was met with a devastating kick from Mr. H. which sent him flying into the wall. The sound of the cracking impact had Rocky reeling, ducking completely out of sight to try and swallow down the fear. Fear… up until tonight he had yet to feel genuine fear when facing these creatures.

The first night was a shock, he screamed to get rid of his jumbled thoughts and crazy ideas. The next time, well it was  _ Freckle  _ and he knew deep down that he wouldn’t hurt him, no matter how many extra teeth and claws and hair his cousin got. Even when Zib started to get a little weird he wasn’t afraid because Miss M. had it under control. He saw their fangs and saw their little  _ rendezvous  _ they would have in hidden corners of the Daisy, and yet they still felt like people to him.

But Mr. H… he looked like a genuine  _ monster.  _ Rocky was  _ afraid.  _

“Don’t be so vulgar. Why is it someone is so keen to have you wiped out with other loose ends, hm?” Mr. H. hummed as if he had just swatted at a fly rather than kicking a guy into the wall. Rocky peeked back from behind the wall and saw Mr. H. take out what looked to be a folder full of papers and articles. Leafing through it, he stood by nonchalantly while the other was still coughing and spluttering on the ground. “A jewel thief who got caught hardly has a sliver of importance to the death of a high-rolling criminal tycoon certainly, however, your status as a fallen Beta puts things into an entirely new light. You started out as an Omega in Sweets’ pack, didn’t you?”

“And what of it? Bastard kicked me out long before May was bumped!”

“Doesn’t mean that you weren’t in some ways involved in the affair.”

“Whatever stick’s up your ass has you chasing ghosts pal, it’s not doing you any favors if it’s leading you to chase packless chumps like me.” 

“We’ll see about that.” Mr. H. grabbed the lycan by his neck and started to drag him off further into darkness. Rocky moved to follow but fate decided to play a cruel trick right there and then, as his hand caught on a nail and sliced a line into his palm. He recoiled in pain and looked up to see Mr. H’s red gaze trained right at him with a mixture of shock and anger.

“Rickaby?!” The lycan in his grip took the opportunity to wrench itself out of his grip and turned his blue gaze on to Rocky, fangs and claws starting to emerge as the smell of Rocky’s blood gave him a second wave.

“That smell…” the lycan growled. Rocky took that as his cue to turn tail and run. 

He only got a few feet away when a hard form crashed into his body and suddenly his stomach lurched, his feet leaving the ground only to be tossed unceremoniously onto-  _ the roof?!  _ Mr. H. was glaring down at him, pinning Rocky in place where he lay on the roof with the force of his sanguine gaze. Rocky gulped.

“Hey there Mr. H-”

“You shouldn’t be here,” Mr. H. growled, the lycan bellow barking and growling on the street below them, “you were supposed to be asleep.”

“Grew up with a prison warden of an aunt. If this is about you being a vampire it’s no big deal Mr. H!” Rocky said, scrambling to his feet. The gravel on the roof dug into his new cut and he hissed through his teeth. A hanky was tossed into his face and he scrambled to catch it.

“Never mind that, wrap that up while I deal with this!” Mr. H. turned away while Rocky hurried to do just that, tying a rough knot just as the lycan's claws emerged from over the roof’s edge and a hulking mass of snarling wolf appeared. How the hell was Mr. H supposed to stand a chance against  _ that?!  _

“Come now Grombach, no need for this to get messy,” Mr. H. said, pulling off his gloves and stuffing them into his pockets. Rocky watched with wide eyes as his nails elongated into nasty-looking claws and Mr. H. held them up in warning. The Beta lycan paid no heed and charged right towards Mr. H. Rocky braced himself to witness a bloody massacre before those snarling teeth would be turned on him. 

It wasn’t a massacre. It was a  _ slaughter.  _ But not from the lycan.

Mr. H. moved like lightning, blink and you’d have missed it. But, Rocky watched with frozen horror as his landlord took to the sky and leapt over the wolf with ease, the tails of his coat resembling a blackbird against the night sky. The lycan twisted to see where he had gone but he moved and slashed across the wolf’s blue eyes. The beast howled in pain, clawing at his eyes which gave Mordecai the opening needed to rush and sink his elongated teeth into the lycan’s neck. The force at which he crashed into the beast sent them both falling but Mr. H. kept a firm bite on the creature’s throat, sucking, no,  _ draining  _ the beast dry like a man starved. 

Rocky watched as the wolf struggled, slowed, twitched a few times, then fell still. The growl died from its lips just as the light left his eyes. Dead. Still, Mr. H. drank until there was scarcely a drop left. The sound of his slurping, growling sounds of satisfaction churned Rocky’s stomach until he had to turn and upheave the contents of his stomach onto the roof. Meanwhile, Mordecai straightened up and heaved a frustrated sigh. That couldn’t have gone worse even if it tried. He looked back at where Rocky was finishing vomiting up his dinner and scowled. 

“Explain.” he ordered, wiping the blood from his claws before taking his gloves out and replacing them, stalking over to where Rocky was bent over. Rocky coughed a few times and held his hand up.

“One second, I don’t think I’m done quite yet,” he pounded his chest to get the excess gas out of his lungs, and only when he was satisfied that nothing else was coming did he straighten up- then proceeded to jump back when he realized just how close Mr. H. had gotten, “okay I’m done! Listen I just wanted to see where you were going and if I had known that you were involved in some sort of late-night sleuthing I wouldn’t have interfered I promise, how was I supposed to know he’d go all hairy the moment I cut my hand? Oh, Miss M. is going to be so upset if I can’t play-”

“ _ Enough.”  _ Rocky immediately shut up as Mr. H. grabbed and inspected his hand. The cut wasn’t deep but a good deal of blood seeped through the fabric. Drat, he’d need a new casual handkerchief. “Since you’ve seen so much I best explain what it is you so colossally messed up,” his grip tightened on Rocky’s hand slightly, causing the boy to wince a little, “this particular lycan is one of many loose ends involved in a recent death that has a special interest to me. I was hoping to extract information from him before you interfered.”

“It was an accident?” Rocky grinned nervously, causing Mordecai’s lips to instinctively curl in distaste.

“An accident that you decided to follow a vampire in the dead of night, while you were still injured I might add, into the heart of Night Creature territory and just so happen to hurt yourself again? I don’t know if that’s actually an accident or just pure lunacy.” Mordecai threw Rocky’s hand away, the latter holding it close to his body. He cringed at his landlord’s tone but a glint of something caught his eye. 

“Hey, what’s that?” he asked, pointing towards the lycan’s corpse. Mr. H. turned and spotted what Rocky was pointing at, something shiny inside the wolf’s mouth. His eyes narrowed slightly as he went over to inspect the object; a silver tooth loosely fitted among the molars. 

“Get it for me.” he ordered sharply turning towards Rocky.

“Why me? My hand’s injured!” 

“I’ve already dirtied my hands with this filth’s blood, I won’t be doing the same with his saliva. Retrieve it, now.” Mordecai’s eyes flashed a more intense red and Rocky was looking down the wolf’s mouth in seconds. God, the smell he could have done without! Plugging his nose with his injured hand, Rocky reached in and shivered at the slobbery feel of the canine mouth.

“Thought werewolves didn’t like silver?” he asked, fingers closing around the loose silver tooth and yanking it out with a wet pop. Thank god he didn’t have anything left in his stomach.

“They don’t,” Mr. H replied, taking the tooth with his fingertips and holding it up to the moonlight. He frowned, “this is a seal, a knowledge seal to be precise. This means that someone really didn’t want this guy talking.” 

“So they jammed a silver tooth into this guy’s mouth? That’s messed up.” Rocky remarked, wiping his hand on his trousers which caused Mordecai to grimace.

“You are getting into the bath when we get home. And if you think this is messed up then you should have left town the moment you discovered the existence of our kind Mr. Rickaby.” Pocketing the tooth after wrapping it in some paper, Mr. H. walked towards the edge of the roof while Rocky followed behind.

“Wait, so, you still want me around?” The question caused Mordecai to turn and look at him with a raised brow.

“Naturally. Besides, perhaps things will be easier now that you know a little more about what I’m trying to accomplish. The details are unnecessary.” Rocky beamed.

“So, I didn’t mess things up?”

“No, you did,” and there goes Rocky’s grin, “but,” and it’s back, “perhaps in messing up you opened a new path I hadn’t expected to find. Let’s hope that dumb luck of yours holds up.” Mordecai held out his arm reluctantly towards Rocky who stared at his dumbly.

“Um, you want something?”

“Grab on, I’m taking us home.” 

“Oh, uh how is it that you’re going to do-  _ WAUUGH?!”  _ Mordecai let out a sigh of frustration and grabbed the boy by the waist, and before Rocky had a chance to hold on they were airborne. Good to know that Rocky didn’t imagine this but he had no idea that his blood-sucking landlord could actually  _ fly!  _ Mordecai kept his gaze fixed on the direction of home while Rocky watched the streets go by in a blur below them. Nope, too fast! He buried his face in Mr. H’s side and clung on for dear life. 

Out of their sight on the ground, two pairs of eyes watched them leave.

“Hm, looks like de little  _ peekon  _ found himself a pet  _ non?”  _

“ _ Oui _ , dis will make ding very interesting from now on Nico. Seems the Reaper has a new pet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know no one's surprised but I had to do it for Rocky's sake. More things revealed next time ehehe~


	12. Blue Skies and Sunshine

**_HOME SWEET HOME_ **

At least it smelled like it, but Rocky was still clinging onto Mordecai’s coat, completely unaware that they had landed already having slipped through an open window to the living room.

“Mr. Rickaby? You can let go now.” Mordecai’s monotone voice made Rocky’s eyes shoot open and he looked to see Mr. H. avoiding eye contact with a clenched jaw. Slowly, he let go and stepped away while Mr. H. immediately smoothed out the wrinkles made in his coat. A moment of silence passed between them.

“So, uh, do all of you fanged types tend to feed off each other like that?” Rocky eventually asked, rubbing the back of his head. Mr. H. narrowed his gaze slightly before moving over to the fireplace, flicking on one of the lamps on a side table before sinking into a plush leather chair. 

“Not to the extent I must, no. Sharing blood is seen as a highly intimate experience, for some reason, but also severely taboo if gone about in an improper manner. To me, blood is sustenance, nothing more. As you observed, when I bite, I bite to  _ kill  _ Mr. Rickaby. Human, vampire or other, it doesn't matter. At least, not to my particular palette.” The matter-of-fact way he explained it sent chills down Rocky’s spine but he persisted. 

“And the ability to take to the skies like the birds on high? Is that common among your kind or another one of your… singularities?”

“Singular is perhaps a bit too simplistic a term, rare is more appropriate. You might hear some refer to me as a ‘Reaper,’” Mr. H. visibly cringed at the word, “but in essence, my particular, vampiric gene was best suited for one purpose. I think you can surmise what it is, Mr. Rickaby.” Rocky nodded, eyes drifting down to the carpet as he remembered the meticulous yet  _ bone-chilling  _ manner he dispatched that Beta. Fangs, claws, poise, all of them were the tools of a perfect killer. Absently, he looked at his hand and touched lightly over his injured arm.

“I suppose my coming home injured must have been distracting, I do profoundly apologize.” he grinned but Mr. H. simply waved his hand.

“Nothing I can’t control myself around, though I would have had second thoughts on asking you to stay here if I had known you’d be so accident-prone.”

“Some might venture to say that I’m dangerous actually.” Mr. H. let out a scoff of air.

“Dangerous to be around perhaps. Still, what’s done is done.”

“Why  _ did  _ you ask me to stay then Mr. H?” Ah, now wasn’t that the question of the hour. Mordecai peered up at Rocky for a moment before gesturing to the smaller chair next to his by the fire. Rocky immediately took the seat but kept his eyes glued to Mr. H. the entire time, unblinking. That was, rather unnerving Mordecai had to admit, such a focused stare from a bright blue gaze like his. It was almost hypnotic in its own right but unlike a vampire's compulsion. 

“At first, when you so rudely made a spectacle of yourself at the train station I was considering hunting you down for that night’s meal,” Rocky made a sound like a strangled chicken but kept his expression neutral- not the first time someone’s mentioned killing him for his performances, nope, “but there was something odd in how you smelled. My suspicions were elevated when I first heard you play.”

“You mean, by the Daisy?”

“Yes. You attracted some rather, unsavory characters with your performance and they are not the kind to interact with things that don’t pique their particular brand of morbid interest.” Rocky frowned and tried hard to recollect what it was Mr. H. meant by ‘unsavory characters’ when a pair of faces came to mind.

“Those siblings? They Saveys or something?”

“The  _ Savoys,  _ yes. Products of their upbringing and dangerous in their execution. The woman, Serafine, is well-versed in her religion’s more archaic practices.”

“Hold up, you mean she’s a bonafide Voodoo priestess? I always thought those tended to be old blind crones?” Mordecai frowned.

“You think she’s actually the age she looks,” he stated plainly. Rocky raised a finger to retort, but then promptly shut his mouth and sunk back in his chair in disbelief. Oh. Magic, what a world. Running his fingers through his already-windblown hair, he let out a puff of air.

“And the big guy?”

“Lycan, but not one of traditional creation. No one knows the particulars but it’s believed she had something to do with it.”

“How do you know all this? And what’s this got with you having me stay here?”

“The answer to both of those questions is simple,” Mordecai rose from his chair and crossed over to where Rocky was sitting. The way his eyes glared down at him made him feel small, not like how Aunt Nina used to with her withered glares when he was a kid, no, he felt like he was literally pinned in place under the force of that gaze alone and his tongue for once felt like lead in his mouth, “a matter of personal interest. Nothing more. And that's all I'm at liberty to discuss with you at this time.” 

Mordecai took a step back and turned towards the fireplace, removing his glove out of Rocky’s view and grimacing; still grey. The Beta wasn’t nearly enough, he’d have to go out tonight again after he dealt with his tenant.

Meanwhile, Rocky was dumbstruck watching Mordecai. So, he was a sort of experiment then? A curiosity of sorts? At first, his expression fell slightly but then, he thought, no one really thought that he was  _ special  _ other than calling him a special kind of stupid so… maybe there was a silver lining to be pulled from that callous remark!

Smiling, Rocky got up and walked over next to Mr. H, the other quickly pulling his glove back on before the boy could see. “Well, I don’t mind being a curio for the ages, after all my talents on Sophia are unparalleled by any other who lives on the banks of Old Man River. I’m sure we can find a solution that both of us will find to our satisfaction,” mainly with him walking out of this building alive, “so perhaps now that things are out in the open, we can be friends?” 

Mr. H. looked almost shocked at the word, eyebrows shooting up his forehead as he looked at Rocky who only smiled back. This boy… apart from chundering at the sight of excessive violence he didn’t seem to falter one bit at the well of information he was exposed to this evening. Mordecai didn't know whether to be worried or impressed.

“Friends?” he repeated the word like it was some shiny new slang.

“Yeah! Bosom buddies, compatriots, pals, comrades, whatever your heart desires! You do know what friends are, right?” Mordecai was almost at a loss for words but Rocky seemed to have enough for the both of them, “Besides! I always wanted to have someone to discuss ol Shakes with! Not many folks out west appreciate the classics or attempt to pay homage to them. A real tragedy of our times.”

“Yes. Tragic.” Mordecai intoned, clearly uncomfortable but still curious. 

“So, new friend, what shall we do next? The night is still young after all-”

“ _You_ , are going to retire this instant while I return to some business. That meeting you stumbled across was, while a serendipitous circumstance, was not my primary goal for tonight.” Rocky frowned and tilted his head slightly.

“What, what were you doing then?”

“Hunting.” Oh, right. Blood. But,

“Didn’t you feed enough off of that wolf? How much blood do you need?” Mr. H. sighed, gazing out the window.

“More than I can seem to get my hands on these days, unfortunately. Part of my,  **rare** nature. An excess in my ability comes with excess in hunger.” The bitter note of his answer made Rocky’s face scrunch with worry, remembering the wild vamp of a man who attacked him his first night back in St. Louis and what Ivy said about what happens to vampires who didn’t feed enough.

“Are you okay now though?” he asked softly, earning a harsh glare from Mr. H. in return.

“Don’t patronize me  _ boy,  _ I am more than capable of dealing with this temporary set back. I can assure you that I have no intention of turning  _ feral  _ at any point in the future, am I clear?” Rocky immediately stood to attention and nodded vigorously which caused Mordecai to relax some, “Good. Now, if you don’t mind, I must depart while I still have usable night time. Sleep well, Mr. Rickaby.”

Mordecai moved quickly to leave, already the burn of his fangs starting to fester when Rocky cleared his throat.

“It’s Rocky, Mr. H- Mordecai. Think we’ve earned the right to be using our given names by now, right?” Mordecai paused, turning only slightly to look back at Rocky. The boy stood there, eyes still wide and hopeful with a mouth turned in the slightest smile. When that smile wasn't splitting his face in half, Mordecai thought that he could see where the other carried a particular charm to his face. Thin, pale face with dark hair. And then, those eyes. Absolutely no fashion sense and only the faintest regard for personal and general hygiene, but, charming nonetheless. 

“We’ll see.” With that, Mordecai swiftly left the apartment and left Rocky alone. Well, that wasn’t a confirmation but, it was better than nothing? Rocky felt all the tension that had been building in his chest up to that point release violently and he fell to the ground, panting and shaking on the floor. 

Just what exactly had he gotten himself into this time? Vampires, Voodoo, Werewolves, and he somehow managed to gain the attention of some of the more rotten apples of the bunch. Silently, he sent a prayer to his mother- please let his dumb luck hold enough to let him live through this. 

But, maybe, just maybe, based on Mr. H- Mordecai’s reaction, something new and exciting could be gained from all this? Smiling to himself, Rocky let out a soft puff of laughter. Which grew. And grew. And  _ grew  _ until he was full-on hollering with it. 

This, this was going to be his greatest odyssey yet! Or his epitaph, either way, this was a story for the stars!

~~~ 

Sunshine

Rocky never expected to be so glad to see sunshine again. Such bright blue skies above, almost obliviously beautiful in the light of the horrors he had witnessed last night. Man, he was just getting deeper and deeper into this hidden world of nightmares and things that go bump in the night. A Divine Comedy with Prohibition as a backdrop. If he survived, he’d write all about it.

Pulling up to the Daisy, he saw that it was mostly empty except for Ivy who was washing down a counter, and to his utter joy, Freckle sat a way down at the bar, watching her a little nervously. A couple of patrons sat in the booths. She on the other hand was blatant in her smiles towards the guy. Rocky smirked a little, ah the blossoms of young love in the air! Summer may be turning to chilly autumn but that didn’t mean a few roses couldn’t bloom still! 

Parking right in front of the door, he ran straight for the door and the moment he got inside he wrapped his cousin in a tight hug.

“Freckle! How are you doing? You sure know how to walk on the wild side now, tell me, how is Viktor as a teacher? How was being a wolf?” his grin was so big it could split his face, but Freckle avoided all eye contact.

“Horrible,” he said in a small voice.

“What? You have been blessed with amazing power, the real chance to run with the wolves! How can such an achievement be horrible?” Freckle looked up at him with near haunted eyes and glanced down at his arm. Oh, he remembered huh? Rocky’s grin softened and he reached up to ruffle Freckle’s hair, “Hey there champ, no need to look so glum. Just a tiny little scratch, I can still pull sweet melodies from Sophia’s fair strings with ease, and hey, look at you! Good as new right?”

It was true, lycanthropy seemed to have cured Freckle of his previous injuries and Rocky dared to say that he looked even healthier than before! Ivy slid up and propped her head on her hand.

“Yeah, all wolves get a healing factor. They heal faster than vampires do, it’s kinda fascinating really! Watching the bones and skin reattach themselves-”

“Please don’t remind me, I’m already going to have nightmares.” Freckle moaned, holding on to his head. Rocky kept a hand on his shoulder, smiling brightly.

“Eh, it’s probably just nerves. It’ll pass before you know it! Besides, now you got a cool job and some amazing new friends!” Freckle kept staring straight ahead at the wall, unblinking.

“Your friends are criminals… I’m part of a pack of criminals.” Ivy snorted.

“Please, it’s only kinda illegal what we do around here. Most of it’s just a cover for the vamps and the wolves the mingle anyways, so think of it as…”

“Policing?” Rocky offered quickly.

“Yeah, policing! Policing supernatural creatures to make sure people are safe and happy! The more Night Creatures we have in the bar, the more innocent humans are kept safe!” Ivy beamed down at him, fluttering her lashes which seemed to break Freckle’s vigil. He still seemed unsure but the words seemed to be the right ones to get his cooperation. Rocky knew that Freckle getting dropped from the police academy must’ve knocked his ego down a few pegs, so maybe in a backward way this could get him back on his feet! 

Not to mention, make things easier to hide Freckle’s new wolfy features from Nina if he got to keep an eye on him at most times.

“So, what are you doing here so early Rocky? Mitzi and the band are all asleep.” Ivy asked, pouring him a cup of coffee. Freckle watched with horrified eyes as Rocky downed half the mug in one go.

“Why’d you give him coffee…?” he muttered but was largely ignored. 

“So the undead don’t care much for the light of day after all? Huh, could’ve fooled me after my-” Rocky paused, wondering if it was uncouth to reveal another person’s vampness to a stranger, but then again Mr. H. knew about Lackadaisy so it must be common knowledge? “After my landlord stayed up late, or is it early, yesterday morning.” Rocky continued drinking his coffee, his eyes going comically wide while Ivy frowned.

“How late into the morning? I’ve only seen Mitzi and her Elite beau stay up until 9 am at the earliest.”

“Elite?” Freckle and Rocky asked?

“Top dogs, real old, vampire aristocracy types. Blue bloods of the black bloods- yeah, vamps bleed black. Anyways, they all come from older European covens and a lot of them run the big cities. Atlas was one of them.”

“Atlas… Mitzi’s husband?” Freckle asked.

“Husband, mate, sire, the triple play. It caused a bit of a scandal between the Elites, it’s rare for one of them to turn someone, rarer still to complete a vampiric mating and a human  _ marriage  _ to them. If you ask me, I don’t think any of them really forgave Atlas for it but no one would dare go against him out in the open.”

“Then, what happened to him?” Rocky asked. Ivy opened her mouth then promptly shut it, shaking her head.

“It’s not my place. It’s still a fresh wound for a lot of folks here. Anyways, tell me about this landlord of yours, he's a vamp I take it?” Rocky nodded.

“Indeed, though I only happened to confirm that fact last night. He was up until I got home the morning after you wolfed out bud,” he said clapping Freckle’s back, who winced, “ and I got home after I ended up falling into a comatose slumber in my car seat. Not the best accommodations but it suited my needs. Anyways, that was almost 11 am, going on noontime when I saw him. But, that night I followed him and well, I’m sure you can guess the rest.” Ivy’s expression grew deadpan.

“You followed a vampire… at night… and saw him feeding?  _ How are you still alive?”  _ she shrieked, catching the attention of a few cafe patrons. She shot them an apologetic look while Freckle sighed.

“I’ve been asking myself the same question since we were kids.” Rocky meanwhile, was starting to space out a little as the coffee started to hit his system.

“Geez, you sure you ain’t something supernatural yourself Rocky?”

“My magic comes only from the lines of prose and the stanzas I compose, for each word and note carries a power beyond our mortal comprehension. But alas, these fragile bones of mine are as mundane as the rocks and rickety rails,” he replied, not quite looking at Ivy. Ivy leaned over to Freckle and whispered.

“Um, is he okay?”

“Coffee,” Freckle sighed, “he’ll go quiet for a moment just, staring at nothing. It’ll pass.” Ivy nodded before she smirked a little.

“Say, wanna go neck in the back when I get on my break?”

Freckle choked on the bite of the sandwich he had just bitten into and Ivy started laughing while Rocky drifted off to the netherworld. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Bit of a chatty chappie this time! That is the end of ACT ONE, my friends! Next, we get into ACT TWO, where things REALLY start to spice up. As such, it may be a little while for my next update while I work on ACT TWO so please keep leaving lovely comments/kudos/share this around/etc! It would mean the world to me.


	13. Dinner

**_PROBLEMS_ **

Sweets hated them on a good day when it came to the business. He hated them especially when they could potentially tip the odds of an enemy he thought long-conquered in their favor. Maybe even give them the push they needed to challenge him. Like this particular little violinist. Perhaps he should have listened with Serafine mentioned something odd about this fiddler the night he arrived in town.

Ever since the Savoys reported seeing the Reaper literally fly off with the lad after draining Gracie dry, Sweets had eyes put on the boy to track his movements. He was, without any doubt, a human. Ate, slept, smelled entirely human. A very  _ odd  _ human, but human still. He couldn't believe his nose and while he wouldn't admit it to others, his smell wasn't what it used to be. Damned cigars, he could hear his old friend say. Regardless, odd smell or not the boy was exceptionally ordinary. So then, why was it that the Reaper wanted to keep him close?

Sweets growled low in his chest as he stared out the window, thinking back to all his old lunch meetings with Atlas when the corpse was still walking. That black-haired **monster** was plastered to his side like an obedient shadow, caring little for anyone or anything that wasn’t his job, his food, or his damn obsession with order and symmetry. How Atlas managed to keep on a leash on him, Sweets was unsure, but Mordecai was a logical individual and Sweets assumed that once he caught a whiff of the tides changing in favor of the Marigolds he’d naturally defect.

But he didn’t. Instead, he's off draining any living or undead creature that crosses his path, or whoever gets in the way of- whatever the fuck he was doing out there on his own.

And now, he’s got this supposed Charmer in his lair, letting him work for the Daisy and by extension for Mitzi’s little games. A waste of potential and a problem, all in one. But, from what his eyes were saying, it didn’t seem like the boy knew about what he might be and what he could do; “dumb luck” he said usually when asked. Emphasis on the _dumb_ one of his informants added. 

Pinching his brow, Sweets reached for the phone and dialed a well-used number. It was about time old friends had a well-overdue dinner date. 

~~

Mitzi had long since grown out of fairy tales, long before she hit puberty and hit the road with the band that led her right into Atlas’s domain. But, recently, she was starting to think that maybe certain wishes can come true if you work and wish hard enough. Just, not in the manner she expected. 

Since Rocky joined the band and his cousin became part of Viktor’s pack, Lackadaisy saw the slightest pick-up in business. The boy’s fancy fiddlin’ sure drew in a small crowd, even if the booze was watered down and could tear the paint off a wall in a single drop. Mitzi noticed more couples, both human and not, drifting towards the dancefloor in each other’s arms the moment Zib let the boy pull a few slow numbers from the strings. 

And then Calvin, well, he stood out like a sore thumb in this world but Viktor kept a sharp eye, his only eye Mitzi noted with a smile, on him. The boy was nervous and jumpy and constantly distracted by Ivy’s flirtations but the young face proved popular with the ladies and he ended up taking a sort of hosting role in the bar. One night he might actually be able to do it without looking so constipated but, one thing at a time.

But, now it was time for a restock in wares and Mitzi knew if this stroke of luck was to keep on growing they’d need to find some other supplier other than the ol’ dog Kehoe. Marigold controlled most of the imports in the city but, outside of the city perhaps… It would be a risk and chances are Sweets had a claw in Defiance but, maybe it was time to put the boys’ skills to the test outside the club. 

As if on cue, there was a polite knock on her door as she smelled Rocky and Calvin just outside.

“Miss M? You wanted to see us?” Rocky called from the other side.

“Yes, come in dears.” Mitzi took a seat at the desk as Rocky and Calvin strode in, the former grinning widely while the later looked around like a lost puppy. A common sight these days. “I’d hate to call you in before your shift starts but the fact is boys, I need you to do me a favor. This bar is starting to draw water again and we can’t keep serving them the same ol’ paint thinner. There’s an old supplier of ours out in Defiance that I want to, reconnect with. However, due to the nature of… one of their associates I can’t send anyone else but you boys.”

“Defiance you say?”

“Missouri.” Calvin gulped.

“Um, I don’t think Viktor would-”

“Take him with you sugar, I doubted that he’d let you out of his sight anyways. Besides, he knows who exactly these people are and that might just help you. We need to get a shipment from them by this weekend or the fact is sugar, we’re going to be in hot water.” Mitzi frowned, looking over the account books with troubled eyes. Rocky immediately lunged forward.

“Don’t you worry about a thing Miss M! Freckle and I will get you that requested shipment before you can say ‘loquacious’ three times! We’ll go to Defiance tomorrow morning, lick of dawn, bright and early! What do you say?” Mitzi couldn’t hide the fond chuckle at Rocky’s enthusiasm and she shook her hand. How does a scrappy young thing now about a word like _loquacious_ any how?

“Good luck getting Viktor to get up that early, but thank you sugar. I knew that I could count on you.” the boy’s smile was infectious and seemed to light up the entire room, lingering long after he dragged his poor cousin off to find Viktor. Just as the door shut, however, the phone rang.

“Good evening?” she greeted, lips pursed.

“Mitzi, how have you been dear girl?” The sound of Sweet’s voice had her lips curling with distaste but she kept the smile in her voice all the same.

“Sweets, how lovely of you to call. You know, I was just thinking about you earlier,” namely how nice it would be to rub her recent successes in his fat face, “and here you are, quick as the Devil himself. What can I do for you?” 

“Well, it’s like this Mitzi. I hear you’ve been pulling a steady stream of interest to your bar these days and I wanted to offer you my personal congratulations!”

“Do you now.” Wait for it.

“Indeed. I admit I had my doubts about what you could do with that old boat but look at you now, almost like a real businesswoman and all. How about you and I go for dinner at our old usual place, like old times?” Mitzi frowned at the dig, no doubt Sweets was only inviting her out to sniff out her recently acquired secret weapon and issue an ultimatum- just because Lackadaisy was standing up on its feet again didn’t mean that it was completely out of the woods yet. Sweets could strike any day now and they’d be helpless. 

“Alright, I’ll bite Sweets,” her smile was sharp as she spoke, glancing at the door, “but is it alright if I bring a few friends of mine along? Dinner is always best eaten with a large group of friends.” she heard Sweets chuckle gruffly on the other side.

“Of course my dear, I’ll bring a few friends myself; it will be a real party! How about Friday evening, just before sunset if you can manage it?” Friday, tomorrow was Thursday and the boys would be out doing their run. If they came to dinner after and somehow managed to ruffle Sweets’ fur the wrong way…

“How about tonight Asa darling? Right before opening. I assume that won’t be any trouble for a man of your caliber?” She smirked a little as she heard Sweets choke on his cigar. The old dog really let himself go with his health ever since he took control of the cash flow.

“Tonight, before opening. Whatever you say Mitzi.”

“Book a table for six-thirty, though forgive me if I arrive fashionably late.” They said their final goodbyes before hanging up on each other, the vampiress smirking a little to herself. Sweets may have drawn the flush in regards to bootlegging and all but when it came to the covens, Mitzi pulled the ace.

All that remained now was to bluff her way through dinner before she set down her hand. 

~~~

“No.”

“But, Viktor! This was a request from Miss M herself! Are you really telling me that I have to tell our most magnificent benefactress and employer that we can’t acquire the cherished goods on her behalf, all because you’re af-” the Lycan didn’t even so much as blink before he clonked Rocky on top of the head before staring down at the frightened Omega.

“W-What Rocky meant to say was-” Freckle tried to say but was silenced by a growl.

“I said, no. You are not in control and he,” he jerked his thumb at Rocky who was nursing the thump on his head with a whimper, “you’d be better off taking bamboo stick. Useless, like floppy pencil.”

“That’s why, my grumbly sir, I’m going to be doing all the talking while Calvin here stands by! You probably don’t know this but, he’s a right terror with a piece if you, get my drift.” Rocky mimicked shooting a gun while Freckle just looked- _haunted_. Viktor’s frown didn’t budge. 

“And if he transforms? You got lucky last time, this time you will be dead for sure,” he said crossing his arms. At that moment, Ivy slid into the scene and linked her arm through one of his.

“Not if I go with them! And before you argue with me mister, I’m calling in that promise you made after you broke my last boyfriend’s legs so you can’t refuse me!” It was comical seeing such a small girl stare down a brick house of a man with a single finger pointing at his face, but Viktor only narrowed his eyes.

“Only if you promise not to die, yes? And bring your crossbow.” Ivy squealed and hugged him tightly.

“You’re the best Viktor! Oh, and boys? Mitzi wants you to be ready for dinner at six-thirty tonight, looks like you’re accompanying her to some meeting. She’s got suits for you to borrow, black tie and all.” 

“Why us?” Freckle asked while Rocky simply beamed.

“Hot dog! We best get all gussied up if we’re going to be on time, c’mon Frecks!” he grabbed his cousin and whisked him away in the direction of Mitzi’s apartment while Viktor only frowned. Between the two of them and Ivy, these young kids were bound to cause nothing but trouble. What was Mitzi thinking, shoving the weird-smelling one in Sweets’ face? That sad excuse for a wolf may be slow and fat, but he was still sharp.

Trouble, nothing but trouble that boy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello my freaky darlings, did you miss me? Because I missed you! Here I am, back with the start of ACT 2! Do leave your comments below, and let's get this show on the road again!


	14. Supper

**_WOWZAS_ **

This was one fancy dive, Rocky thought as the car pulled up to the restaurant. The sun was just setting and Mitzi wore a veil over her face, a simple thing that looked fashionable to the naked eye. “To protect my eyes,” she said when asked, but the establishment was lit up from the inside like the Fourth of July. Nervously, he adjusted his collar a bit to give his hands something to do. Before he left, he quickly called home to ask Mordecai advice on what to do in places like this.

“Silverware typically moves from the outside inward depending on the number of courses and try to keep your voice down. No one likes a loudmouth with their _hors d'ouevres._ Also, call me again before sunset and I will temporarily disable the use of your fingers.” Was all he got in ways of an answer before the other quickly hung up, voice still groggy from sleep. Jeez, vamps sure got weird when the sun was up. 

It was still a pleasant evening and some diners sat outside, one man in particular seated in a rather picturesque corner of the garden area. A band played on the gazebo, string lights illuminating them in a warm glow. And the food… well if Rocky was honest the food looked far too small to be considered a meal but fancy food must be magical or something. Like, fairy food- so delicious that one would never crave human food again and be doomed to waste away… If not, then maybe the fat cats just didn't eat a lot? Shame.

“That’s Sweets fellas, he runs the Mirabel Hotel- and by extension, the Marigold. Don’t let that belly and cheerful face fool you, he’s still an Alpha and is due that much respect at least- Calvin, I think it would be best if you stayed silent unless spoken to, that alright with you?” Freckle turned and slowly nodded, “Good, and Rocky sugar? I’d say the same goes for you, you just sit there and look handsome alright?”

“Sure thing Miss M! Though I’d be more than happy to throw in some anecdotes to disperse tension-”

“That won’t be necessary dear, but thank you. Come along now.” Horatio let the three of them out of the car, Rocky stopping to offer Mitzi his hand to assist her out personally. She smiled graciously before fixing her gaze on Sweets who by now noticed them arrive. His smile was all teeth as he waved them over. Seems like his  _ friends  _ hadn’t arrived yet.

“Mitzi! Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes? And these two fine gentlemen with you, I'm always happy to meet new faces. Asa Sweets, a pleasure to meet you.”

“Rocky, Rocky Rickaby sir!” Rocky replied with equal enthusiasm while Freckle looked to Mitzi, who nodded. The boy kept his head low as he replied.

“Calvin McMurry, sir.”

“Good lads, please please have a seat! I hope you don’t mind but I went ahead and ordered us some appetizers to get things started. And of course Mitzi, your favorite.” he slides a wine glass full of a deep red wine (laced with blood, Rocky guessed) and she accepted it graciously. 

“You’re too kind. Boys, be sure to order whatever strikes your fancy- this dinner is Mr. Sweets’ treat after all.” both boys immediately went wide-eyed and started looking at the menu enthusiastically. “Now, are your friends going to be joining us soon?” she motioned to the two empty seats on either side of Sweets. Sweets' smile faltered when Rocky pointed out the mock turtle soup to his cousin but replied nonetheless.

“Yes yes, while you may be fashionably late they sure like to push the envelope sometimes. Ah, here they are. Serafine, Nico! Come, we were just about to get started.” Rocky’s attention snapped up at the mention of the name and sure enough, the siblings from his first night home sauntered up to their table with their sharp-toothed grins firmly in place. Serafine wore a bright red dress with her hair tied in a turban while Nico simply wore a vest over his white shirt and suspenders. Freckle immediately scrunched his nose and recoiled, not going unnoticed by Sweets.

“Ah, I remember when I was young and dull-clawed. Don’t fret boy, you’ll get used to all the sights and smells in no time.” Sweets chuckled, glancing down at Freckle. The younger lycan recoiled a bit on instinct but nodded.

“Thank you,” he replied, though his brow was furrowed slightly. 

“Say, aren’t you dat fancy fiddler we saws playin’ de other night?” Nico asked, smirking down at Rocky. Silently, Rocky gulped though he was sure he saw the creole Lycan follow the movement with his eyes.

“Yessir, one and the same. Miss M was kind enough to give me a job playing at the cafe, perhaps one day I can treat you and Miss Savoy to a private performance? With other people around?” he replied, smiling despite the acceleration of his heart rate. Mordecai’s words on the sibling’s notoriety the other night were still fresh in his brain and try as he might he was struggling to contain the nervous energy in his body.

“My my, seems like our reputation precedes us  _ cher _ if you be usin' our family name so friendly like.  We’d love to hear you play again  _ monsieur  _ Rocky.” Serafine purred, eyes narrowing at Rocky. He gulped again, quickly realizing his little slip. At that point, appetizers (shrimp cocktails and a platter of  _ amuse bouches)  _ arrived and Mitzi took back the reins of the conversation. 

“Seems like we really do live in a small world. But, not so small that it would take this long for us to meet up Asa. Tell me, why now of all things?” she asked, sipping her not-wine gingerly while keeping her gaze fixed on Sweets.

“Things are changing so fast these days, I figured I was feeling a little nostalgic and all. I wanted to talk about how things were, how things are…” he trailed off and Mitzi frowned.

“So, you’re finally going to make demands then?”

“Not demands no! More like, requests. Requests from an old friend. The fact is Mitzi, you’ve done a smashing job running things at the Daisy and I commend you for your efforts. But, what remains to be said is that you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel there and I think it’s about high time you focus on running your little coven more.” He looked apologetic as he spoke but Mitzi was not fooled.

“You want us to close the Daisy? I was figuring things were getting a little cramped at your establishment by now, you try and stuff any more folks down there it might explode.”

“Now I didn’t say you close the club no, what you do for the vampires in this city is commendable. Atlas would be darned proud of you. But the rum-running side of things has got to stop. Treasury’s cracking down on all sellers and I’d hate to see you get hurt or worse when they turn their sights on to you. Now, I got some ties that’ll keep the supplies safe with me but if you can-” Mitzi set her wine glass down a little too hard and leaned forward.

“Let me stop you right there sugar. You know full well as I do that there has been a sharp rise in Fers ever since Atlas passed and the bar is our way of keeping both humans and nonhumans safe. The only way we get donors is through that bar Asa and I won’t be jeopardizing my coven so that you can get a few more pennies out of it.” Asa quickly put his hands up.

“Now now let’s not get hasty May, you’re just barely pulling any water as it is-”

“Actually, things have started to pick back up! It’s no wild party but a steady stream is always better than a dry well.” Rocky piped in, smiling proudly while Mitzi sent him a small look. He furrowed his brow in confusion while Nico rubbed his chin.

“You don’ say? How lucky for you den.” he remarked while Mitzi placed a hand on Rocky’s arm.

“What Rocky means is, our business is just fine but I appreciate the concern. If that’s all you wanted to talk to me about, then it’s time for us to leave.” Mitzi started to rise followed by Rocky and Calvin, Sweets watching them leave with no efforts to stop them.

“Hang on a moment dere  _ chers,  _ you haven’t had your  _ entrées  _ yet!” Serafine chimed, leaning her elbow against the table with a wide smirk. The movement brought Rocky’s attention down to her wrist, adorned in silver charms and bangles. One had a silver tooth.

“Somehow dears, I think that I’ve suddenly lost my appetite. Some other time, perhaps.” Mitzi replied, staring down at the woman coldly. The trio quickly walked back to their car, Horatio quickly running to open the doors for them while Mitzi pinched her brow. “We poked a nest of vipers there fellas.”

“Was it anything I said? I didn’t mean nothin-” Rocky rambled but she placed a hand on his shoulder.

“No no, something tells me we wouldn’t have made it to dessert anyway. We best be careful going forward. Are you sure you two and Ivy can handle tomorrow?” Mitzi’s sad smile pulled at Rocky’s heartstrings and he gently grabbed her hand in both of his.

“I promise you, nothing bad is going to happen tomorrow Miss M, you have my word.” such an earnest, naive smile, Mitzi couldn’t help but feel a little hope that things might just work out. Hope was a dangerous emotion to have these nights.

“Come, let’s go get ready for opening tonight. We got a lot of work to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A//N: I'm aware this is a bit short but lot's of juicy bits here! But, if y'all are good and like/comment/share this a lot then maybe I'll post the next chapter sooner ;) I'm working on getting back to my regular posting schedule but things are hectic! Stay luminous dearies


	15. Tea Time

**_TEA TIME_ **

It had become a sort of ritual for the pair of them whenever Rocky returned home to enjoy a cup of tea before the human retired to bed and the vampire in turn, would hunt. Sometimes, Mordecai would have just risen and prepared everything while Rocky sat in the smaller chair and talked (in great detail) about his night. In particular, he would go on about the relative and growing success of his performances. Sometimes, tea would already be made by the time Rocky got home and immediately the pair would drink and chat. There was an unspoken agreement that they didn’t discuss Mordecai’s eating habits or investigation unless absolutely necessary, and such an occurrence had yet to come about.

It was pleasant, the vampire acquiesced after a time. The boy was nearly five, almost six years his junior he estimated and quite verbose for a young man of his age. An absolute idiot when it came to common sense or the finer points of human mannerisms, but a riveting conversationalist all the same despite the scatterbrained nature of his thought process. Thinking about it, the vampire had a little trouble recalling the last time someone was able to keep up with himself in terms of discussion and general vocabulary. Lord knows his previous companion barely had two words to string together on a good day. His sister, Esther, was perhaps the closest in terms of matching his intellect if he had to name one. 

Thinking about his sister had him pausing for a moment, it had been a long time since he last received a letter from any of his family. Perhaps, he should write again soon.

At that moment, Rocky walked through the door but without his usual wide grin and bright greeting. Mordecai raised a brow, pausing a moment in his preparation.

“Trouble at work Roark?” Mordecai had conceded on allowing first names be used but refused to call the other anything besides his given name. Rocky sighed and sank into his chair with the melodramatics of a Shakespearen romantic hero.

“I think I may have messed things up for Miss M. Mordecai, dinner tonight didn’t end all too well.” the vampire hummed, handing Rocky his cup of milky sugar water before moving to sit in his customary chair.

“What happened, what were Sweets’ demands?” he asked simply, sipping his tea gingerly and crinkling his nose. Still too hot.

“He wants us to close the Daisy.”

“Sounds logical, the Marigold has been rather ambitious this past year in becoming the main provider of illegally brewed goods for this city. Lackadaisy is and has been its only main competitor. I take it Mitzi didn’t take the demands well.” 

“No, she all but told him to shove it before we left, right before the main course too. The appetizers were nice, but I don’t know how those blue bloods can call three courses of nibbles a meal, my stomach is still eating itself.”

“It’s an appreciation for the gourmet culinary arts and the expertise used to bring out more complex flavors of certain ingredients. More on that later, how did you ‘mess up’ this dinner then?”

“I mean, I kinda let the other guys know that business was picking up a bit… that’s all.” Rocky shrunk a little in his chair as Mordecai frowned. Yes, that would alarm Sweets a bit but not to a point of him being worried. No, Sweets called this dinner for something else entirely… unless, the new flow of customers for Lackadaisy had anything to do with some other reason that was more than just a stroke of good luck. 

“I’m sure your remark wasn’t so important as you think it was, you are a fresh face in this illicit world, Sweets isn’t one to listen to pups.” he said coolly, earning him a confused pout from Rocky.

“Thanks, I think?” For a moment, Rocky drank his own tea in silence when a thought hit him, “oh, the Savoys were there too! And you know the lady, Serafine?” Mordecai sharply turned and glared at Rocky before nodding slowly.

“Unfortunately, why, what did she do?”

“No no, but, she had this bracelet and I thought my eyes were playing tricks but there was a tooth on one of them, silver! Like the one from the other night.” Mordecai set his tea cup down and folded his hands together. He should have guessed Savoy was related to that charm somehow, but now that he knew he had a better plan of attack when it came to his search.

“Are you absolutely certain? This could be very important Roark.” Rocky nodded vigorously and held his hand over his heart.

“Swear on my Mother’s grave, bless her soul.”

“No need to be so extreme, but alright. So, that means the charm could be of Creole origin. I’ll have to investigate members of her congregation.”

“Congregation, like church?” Rocky hated church.

“If you consider wild chickens and random snakes church, then yes. Serafine holds a weekly  _ calinda  _ of sorts in the Savoy’s room at the Mirabel, their congregation consists of all creatures but mainly vampires. What they do there, I don’t care much about but if Sweets is relying on that group for any reason… this may run a little deeper than I realized.” The way Mordecai stared intensely at the floor near Rocky’s feet made him squirm a little, rubbing the back of his head.

“You know, I worked with a circus for a bit. Fortune teller was all into this kind of stuff, if you want, maybe I could write to her and ask her about the tooth?” Mordecai’s gaze immediately snapped to him.

“Why didn’t you mention this  _ before?”  _ he growled.

“You didn’t ask!” Rocky squeaked. Mordecai sighed and removed his glasses to pinch his nose.

“Never mind. Go and write to her if you wish, though I doubt that will bring much light to anything.” Another pause settled on the room before Mordecai turned his gaze towards Rocky. Or rather, Rocky’s attire.

“Is that all you have to wear that’s decent?” Rocky started and looked down before shrugging.

“Well, I did have three nice jackets before I arrived here, but they all went the way of the dodo to wolves and vamps alike. Present company accepted of course. Miss M. let me borrow a tux for tonight at least.” he added quickly. Mordecai pondered this for a moment before getting up and moving quickly to his room while Rocky watched him in confusion. Shortly, Mordecai returned carrying a large hanger bag.

“Try this, it’s tailored to my specifications but the color was all wrong. It may need to be hemmed, no, in fact it will need to be hemmed but perhaps this will fit.” Mordecai all but thrust the bundle into Rocky’s hands before he had a chance to stand up.

“Gee, you mean it? Thanks Mords!” Rocky ran off towards his room while Mordecai choked on air.

“Do  _ not  _ call me ‘Mords’ unless you want your tongue ripped out!” an empty threat but still, the fact remained- he loathed hearing his name unnecessarily shortened for familiarity’s sake. It was unbecoming of their current relationship on top of that.

Meanwhile, Rocky rushed to put the ensemble on. What lay inside was a bright blue number- far too bright for Mordecai’s somber tastes -complete with matching suspenders and fedora. Rocky gave a low whistle before quickly changing. As expected, the sleeves and the legs fell a little long but it fit wonderfully around his shoulders and was warm where his previous suits were threadbare. With delicate fingers he traced the neat seams and the smooth material, so soft it had to be a silk blend.

This was no cheap suit. He held the sleeve up to sniff it, trying to see if it smelled fancy, but instead of the smell of luxury he smelled something else. Dusky, dark, and just strong enough to send chills down his spine but not so much it would cause his nose hairs to curl. Mordecai’s cologne? Or, no, he never wore this… Lingering aftershave then. Yeah. Briefly, he recalled smelling this the previous times Mordecai and he were close enough for that to be possible but those times he was so hyped up on adrenaline and fear he didn’t really notice.

But now he could and  _ damn,  _ that was some scent. And he couldn’t stop smelling it, the chills it sent were warming as opposed to stark, and the warmth he felt in his chest was something he hadn’t thought of since the fateful day Nina kicked his ass to the curb. Home. He was  _ home  _ for the first time in years. Sure, his new housemate was cantankerous and cold and scary, and that was without the fang-y bloodthirst but… he gave him a suit. A very nice, expensive, something Rocky would never own again in his life, suit. A suit that smelled like  _ home  _ and  _ him.  _

The warmth in his chest suddenly touched his heart and turned cold. No, no no, he couldn’t be thinking like this! Grabbing the fedora, he made a few last minute adjustments before walking out to where Mordecai was waiting, leaning against the chair. The second he stepped out the vampire adjusted his glasses and scanned him up and down, appraising.

“Hm, as I thought, needs hemming but it’s not as severe as I predicted. But, what in God’s name is that tie?” he raised a brow towards the obnoxiously red necktie Rocky had chosen to wear with it with a black embroidered R at the tail. Rocky smirked and stroked his tie with pride.

“This ol’ thing? Why this cotton and silk blend has seen me through thick and thin through the years, never unravels and never runs. My Lucky Tie.” Mordecai could barely suppress an eye roll.

“The likelihood that thing holds any sort of energy that bodes good fortune is close to nil, but if that’s all you have unfortunately I have none to give you. Still, if you’re going to wear it then at least do it properly.” Rocky started as Mordecai quickly approached and took his tie in hand, tightening it so that the knot rested right against the hollow of his throat. That smell, up close it was even stronger and Rocky had to smile in order to cover the hot feeling his cheeks.

“I like to keep things casual, it reminds me of church otherwise. My aunt used to do them so tight I thought I was off to the gallows instead!” 

“Don’t be dramatic. It’s simply proper and makes you look like a well-adjusted member of society rather than some rapscallion.” Mordecai stated, making little adjustments until it lay perfectly centered. The R at the end threw off the entire vision of symmetry but then, how like Rocky. Decent in some manners while entirely  _ mad _ in others. Rocky in the meantime, tried to avoid eye contact as best he could without drawing suspicion.

“I'll keep that in mind. Can you let go now please? You pull that any tighter then I may as well stop the clocks for the wake.” In truth he was struggling to keep the heat from his face and he wanted Mordecai to resume their usual distance so he could hide it from his sharp gaze.

Like he could hide anything from a vampire. 

Mordecai had heard him sniffing loudly from the other room, even as the door was shut. Another gift and curse of his affliction, the heightened senses; smell, sight, and sound. He was certain Rocky couldn’t be subtle even if he tried, and the same could be said for here at this moment. His ears heard the increased flow of blood under the skin and his eyes caught the faint color at the cheeks. The blood rush called to his baser instincts and the increase of Rocky’s scent mixed with the lingering traces of his own was… well, it was satisfactory. The tickle in his gums grew the longer he stayed put and there was that lingering voice telling him to give in and indulge, the voice that never shut up ever since his maker planted it in there. 

Nonetheless, he did as requested and stood back.

“Very well,” briefly, he glanced at the clock, “you should sleep, I have to go hunting. Not to mention, make light of this new little discovery about the Savoys and the teeth.” With the spell broken, Rocky took a huge breath and held his thumb up.

“Sure thing chief, let me know if you find anything exciting. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” Mordecai nodded.

“Tomorrow night.” With that, Rocky quickly moved back to his room and shut the door, leaning against the wood while he did his best to calm his thoughts. Not to mention his pulse that was thundering on at an increasing pace. He had thought that he had dealt with this _problem_ years ago not long after Nina kicked him out, strangled and buried these thoughts so deep they'd never see the light of day again but here he was, acting like a fool in front of someone like Mordecai.

Rocky, what the hell are you doing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A//N: One day I'll get my old posting schedule on but, have this little treat instead! Finally, some sort of movement with these two dorks right? ;)


	16. Defiance

**_SHOW TIME_ **

Ivy stood in the garage, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other while she adjusted a crossbow in her arms. The massive thing looked awkward in her small hands and Viktor could only huff as he watched her fiddle with the trigger. 

“This is bad idea.” he grumbled, moving the last of the previous shipment towards the trap door for one of the band members to bring down stairs.

“All our other options have run dry, unless you think of a better idea?” she snapped, raising a brow at him. Viktor’s silence was telling enough. “What are these people like in Defiance anyhow? They vamps? Wolves? Other?”

“Human,” Viktor replied, “work with dead bodies.” 

“Not like we don’t got enough of those, you sure they’ll pull through for us?” At at question, Viktor paused, sitting down on a crate and cradling his knee almost subconsciously. Ivy winced slightly but knew better than to bring it up.

“Not sure, been long time. They had good arrangement with Atlas before he died, Sweets probably already have them in pocket.”

“So, you’re saying it’s hopeless? A wild goose chase?”

“Yes. But, maybe this goose worth chasing… the woman, Elsa. She is good woman, sharp head. If I were you, let the boys handle the brothers. You speak to Elsa, try and put fancy school brain to work.” Ivy nodded, a grin on her face.

“Speak to Elsa, got it.”

“Hey, Ivy!” the pair turned to see Rocky run towards them with a frightened-looking Freckle in tow. Viktor took a long whiff and frowned when he smelled the pup's fear coming off him in waves.

“He can’t go, too jittery. Claws come out at drop of pin.” Rocky balked.

“But, what about-?”

“ _ He’s. Not. Going.”  _ The low tone caused Freckle to whimper and bow his head in acknowledgment to his Alpha, even Rocky felt his retort die in his mouth before he had a chance to argue. Viktor relaxed when he sensed that his order was being followed and backed off, glare no less intense however. “Ivy will be enough, that is if you don’t do something stupid.” 

“You can count on us! C’mon Rocky, we’re losing daylight!” Ivy quickly grabbed Rocky and pushed him towards the beat up café truck before moving over to Freckle, “don’t worry, we won’t have any fun without you.” The younger Lycan flushed at the proximity, smiling nervously.

“Th-That’s okay, I wouldn’t be much help anyways…” Ivy grinned and quickly planted a quick kiss on his cheek, much to the visible ire of Viktor who watched the exchange with a hard eye. Freckle stood shocked and Rocky swore from his vantage in the driver’s seat that if his tail was out it’d be wagging.

“Alright Romeo, I got to steal Juliet from you for a bit! Take care of Miss M and Viktor for us!” Rocky yelled, grin almost sly as he started the car. Ivy gave the Lycans a wave before running and jumping into the passenger seat. Freckle and Viktor could only watch in silence as the two drove off into the afternoon sun. 

“A-Are they really going to be okay?” Freckle glanced up at the Alpha who was staring at the corner that the truck disappeared around with a frown.

“They better be.”

Outside of the café garage, on a rooftop from the opposite building, Mordecai watched the vehicle putter away with a scowl. Viktor’s worry was thick in the air and the stink caused the vampire’s face to scrunch up. He still smelled like the business end of a burnt boot. The young one wasn't much better, but the acrid smell was more likely fear than anything else. Looking at his watch, he figured he had at least one hour until sunset and his powers would be at full strength. Turning and walking towards the fire escape, he adjusted his collar to keep the last rays of the sun from burning the back of his neck. 

It’s been a while since he last saw Elsa.

~~~

The drive to Defiance had been surprisingly quiet, with Rocky focusing on driving and Ivy watching the world go dark outside the window. Rocky’s rhythmic tapping betrayed his inner turmoil for tonight but he kept a small grin on his face.

“How much further?” he asked after they passed a road sign, beat up and rusty with the worlds WELCOME TO DEFIANCE painted in faded white letters.

“Just a couple more miles, Viktor said it be signposted.” 

“What kind of sign we lookin’ for?”

“Morticians.”

“Oh.” An awkward pause settled before Ivy turned towards Rocky.

“You never said who your landlord was the other day, you got all spacey with the coffee and then we had to sweep you off the floor-”

“Yeah, sorry about that by the way. Great coffee though!”

“No worries, so who is he?” Rocky glanced briefly towards Ivy, biting his lower lip as he tried to find the right words. Mordecai was explicitly clear in his desire for privacy and Rocky wasn’t sure if he’d appreciate being blabbed about behind his back, but on the other hand, he wasn’t here..?

“Well, he is a vampire as you guessed,” he started, watching as Ivy leaned forward slightly, “offered me a place to crash the night I arrived and all. I just call him Mr. H. for the most part, he’s very fancy-pants well to do if you follow. But all and all, underneath it all I think he’s a pretty swell guy! Eating habits aside.” Ivy pursed her lips, brows furrowed but she nodded regardless. That wasn’t the answer she was looking for exactly but it would have to do for now. 

“Hey, there’s the turn!” Rocky jumped and turned the car sharply down a dirt path off the main road, the sudden roughness of the terrain nearly throwing the girl out of her seat.

“Seatbelt Miss Ivy!”

“Shut up, watch the road!” Up ahead, Rocky spotted a farmhouse amid a field of wheat, faded and in need of some paint but otherwise in alright condition. In front, was a weathered sign reading ARBOGAST MORTICIANS. Complete with a hearse in the garage spotted to the side. Well, that was certainly one way to cover and pay for a bootlegging operation. Rocky pulled up to the front door and whistled.

“So, you reckon we just knock on the front door?” Ivy in the meantime adjusted her newsboy cap in the side mirror before jumping out of the car.

“You just stay here and keep an eye out for anyone we don’t want to see, leave all the sweet talk to me.” the girl sent him a wink which Rocky returned before leaning back in his seat and removing his fedora to fan himself. The heat and dust of summer started to make itself known now that they weren’t moving. 

Ivy meanwhile, walked up to the front porch and knocked four times on the door without hesitation. Deep breaths Ivy, there’s no way this can fail. All they can say is no and then Lackadaisy risks going under and Night Creatures go unfettered and enabled by Sweets’ promise of indulgence and-

Footsteps from inside snapped her out of her thoughts and she put on her best smile as the door opened. An older man dressed in priest garb and a permanent frown appeared, towering in the doorway and peering down at her like she had crawled here from the gutters. 

“Good afternoon sir, and how are you today?” Ivy opened, the man’s expression remaining unchanged.

“Blessed, young miss. What can I do for you that would wager someone young as yourself making the pilgrimage out here?”

“My name is Ivy, Ivy Pepper and I’m here on behalf of Lacka-” SLAM! The door was promptly shut in her face, “-daisy?”

“No luck Miss Ivy?” Rocky called from the car, while Ivy crossed her arms. 

“Really, rude!” she huffed before knocking again, this time with more force. 

“Away with you, foul temptress of sin and debauchery! Back to the cesspool of Hades from whence you were birthed!” the old man’s voice shouted from the other side. 

“Listen to me! I’m a friend of Viktor’s and-” there as a loud scuffle from inside, a mix of voices as another, heavier set of footsteps approached and the door opened again. This time, a portly man with a bright smile stood at the door.

“Ah, I do apologize for my zealous brother-in-law missie, sometimes he can forget his manners. Welcome to Arbogast farm. Now, what is it exactly that you want?” Mr. Arbogast asked, his English accent still strong in contrast to the tall priest. Ivy took a moment to clear her throat before continuing. 

“As I mentioned before, my name is Ivy Pepper and I represent Lackadaisy, I’m here on the suggestion of my friend Viktor. I assume you know him?” Mr. Arbogast and the priest’s faces paled at the name while the former tried to keep a smile.

“Know him we do, though sometimes I wish we don’t. I know what you’re asking for lass, and while I appreciate you trying to rebuild old bridges and all, things are not that simple see. Our, services are under a strict contract with another buyer.”

“You mean Marigold?” Ivy replied, crossing her arms. The pair of them nodded.

“Don’t get me wrong, we had a good thing going with Atlas. But ever since he bit the dust, well, things have to change in order for everyone to survive and the way things are now, we just can’t risk getting involved with the daisy again.” Mr. Arbogast smiled sadly, but Ivy wasn’t deterred. Sighing in false resignation, she started to walk away.

“That’s a shame, Viktor was so confident in you pulling through something for us, I’d hate to go back to him empty-handed you see…” a hand reached out to stop her and she smirked.

“N-Now just wait one moment! You don’t have to go to that old dog. Maybe, I was a bit hasty in answering. If things really are that desperate and you have means of getting wares back safely then, maybe  _ maybe,  _ we can work something out?” 

Hook, line, and sinker.

Meanwhile, Rocky was watching the exchange with rapt attention, beaming brightly when it seemed Miss Ivy got the fellas to negotiate. He couldn’t blame them, Viktor was a bargaining chip even he wouldn’t bet against. Turning to look out at the wheat field and the setting sun painting the sky orange, Rocky sighed almost wistfully until a sudden rustle in the distance caught his attention.

The air was still as a rock, and whatever made that noise… was too big to be a small rabbit or field mouse.

“Ivy?” he called out, scrambling out of the car just as Ivy was about to go inside with the Arbogasts. “We got company!” No sooner did he say that did two large Lycans come out of the wheat, snarling and flexing their claws. From inside the house, a third person emerged, a woman with a tired droop to her eyes and yellow hair pulled into a tight bun.

“You get inside the house young man, you too dear,” she spoke to Mr. Arbogast softly, but with an icy finality that had him grabbing Rocky and pulling him inside quickly, “let us handle this.” From her side, the woman pulled out a crossbow similar to Ivy’s while the priest grabbed a gun from above the door. Ivy in the meantime grabbed a stake from inside her coat earning a reproachful glare from the woman.

“Is that all you brought?”

“My bow’s in the car!” Ivy protested, causing the woman to sigh.

“Very well, try to stay alive then.”

“You must be Elsa?”

“Introductions can wait till later Miss Pepper, now, we fight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A//N: And so we meet the Arbogasts!


	17. Skirmmish

**_HELPLESS_ **

That was the only feeling Rocky was feeling at this moment. Viktor wasn’t wrong when he said that he would be useless in a fight; he hit as hard as a limp noodle and shot a gun once- that poor hen! And seeing poor Miss Ivy out there-!

“Don’t you fret now lad, my Elsa will keep an eye on her, they’re only Omegas now.” Mr. Arbogast assured, patting Rocky’s shoulder. The boy only worried his bottom lip between his teeth when he caught whiff of something odd, “embalming fluid- we actually do cater to the dead here as well lad. Oh, and the mistletoe.”

“Mistletoe? Bit early for Christmas isn’t it?”

“Nah, it’s for them,” Mr. Arbogast pointed towards the wolves, “they can’t stand the stuff.” Outside, the two Lycans were pacing in front of the house, Ivy partially hidden behind Elsa as the older Hunters stared down the growling beasts. Rocky got an insane idea.

“Mr. Arbogast, I’m gonna need to borrow some of that fluid. And foliage.”

Meanwhile, outside…

“Abelard, you have that gun on our friend to the right. Miss Pepper, as soon as you hear a gunshot you run for that car and get your damned bow, you hear me?”

“Loud and clear Miss.” Ivy replied, with only a slight tremor to her voice. Elsa nodded before raising her voice towards the Lycans.

“This is a direct violation of our contract gentleman, if you don’t vacate my property immediately, you can tell Sweets our agreement is terminated.” the Omegas growled in response, the one on the right rearing to pounce with his hackles raised. Abelard’s hand twitched and the other wolf leapt at him in response, the priest pulling the trigger and missing the beast by a hair.

“Go!” Elsa yelled but Ivy had bolted the moment she heard the hammer click. The first Lycan lunged toward her but a bolt from Elsa’s bow whizzed by his maw, halting him in his tracks to turn his attention to the blonde hunter. Elsa quickly loaded another bolt, grumbling to herself while Ivy yanked the car door open and grabbed her own crossbow.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Ivy from behind and she screamed, quickly turning and aiming the crossbow at her assailant- only for it to be caught in a black gloved hand. The young hunter went wide-eyed as the stranger held his finger to his lips, signaling her silence before pointing upwards towards the sky. Frowning, she followed his finger’s direction and gasped. The moon, it wasn’t full! So how the hell were  _ Omegas  _ able to shift?

She looked back towards the other but he was gone, a gust of wind left in his wake. Shaking her head, Ivy ran around the car and shouted.

“They’re in forced shifts!” pointing towards the sky. Elsa looked up, eyes widening before she called out to Abelard who was making one Lycan dance with bullets while Elsa kept one pinned down with her bow. Ivy raised her own weapon and prepared to fire, the Lycan fighting Elsa turning his snarling face towards her. Her hands shook as she pulled the trigger, the bolt grazing the wolf’s cheek and embedding itself in the house’s exterior.

“Watch it girl!” Abelard said, firing the gun multiple times until he ran empty. One bullet lodged itself into the Lycan’s knee, causing it to yelp and kneel to the ground. Growing, it reared its great head and unleashed a monstrous howl into the night. The other Lycan looked around, lips curling back until it looked like a sneer as he backed away. Ivy quickly ran to Elsa’s side, eyes wide as she watched the wheat field.

Howls and growls from the distance rang out, getting closer along with the sound of approaching heavy footsteps that crunched through the wheat stalks. The injured Lycan stood up shakily, claws ready for the fight as the other Lycan made a lunge for Elsa and Ivy. Elsa quickly loosed a bolt into the beast’s chest, causing it to crumble with a growl. It’s muscles shifted and twitched around the bolt, a black trail of veins creeping along the thinner skin before he skulked back towards the wheat.

“Heaven help us, that was my last mistletoe bolt,” she muttered before looking down at Ivy, “steel your nerves and load up, we’re in for a long night.” the girl nodded and quickly loaded another bolt just as three more Omega Lycans emerged from the wheat, stalking towards the property line.

“Ahoy there doggies!” a bottle flew out of nowhere, hitting the Lycan Elsa shot and shattering upon impact. The beast howled as the substance ignited, lit by a cloth on fire and quickly consuming the wolf. The three hunters watched wide-eyed as Rocky approached with Mr. Arbogast, a series of bottles and a lighter in hand. The pack all turned their attention to him, their comrade running away back into the forest. Elsa shook her head.

“Boy, what have you done?” The lycans charged at Rocky, who fumbled to light his next bit of ammo while Mr. Arbogast hurried to his wife. Elsa and Ivy fired at the pack, drawing a couple away and injuring them while Abelard retreated back to his brother-in-law, grabbing a few of the bottles and taking a smell.

“Is this-?”

“Aye, fluid and mistletoe. Lad’s idea not mine.” Another wolf got hit with the anti-Lycan cocktail, following his packmate into the forest howling. Rocky watched it leave with a grin on his face, a laugh starting low in his chest before growing in volume. 

“And so the dogs of war ran into the night, fleeing the flames of justice and strife!” he crowed, lighting another and tossing it towards a Lycan that was creeping up on Abelard. This one batted it away and it landed just a hair’s breadth away from the wheat line, causing the priest to run towards it madly.

“Not the wheat!”

“Sorry!” Rocky called, unaware that a Lycan had snuck up until he turned and saw it right in front of him, “oh shoot.” Just as the wolf raised its clawed hand, a black blur appeared out of nowhere and took the beast down to the ground, punching it so hard its jaw broke with a sickening crunch. Rocky gasped when he saw who it was.

“Mordecai?!” the vampire got up and pushed Rocky back, jumping just as the Lycan howled and swiped at him.

“Stay back!” he ordered, removing his gloves to make room for his claws. The elder hunters all went wide-eyed at the new arrival, Elsa particularly looking like she saw a ghost.

“Boy! Get away from him!” but Rocky didn’t move, instead lighting his last bottle and holding it ready for the next Lycan. Ivy meanwhile had broken off from the group, backing away as the Lycan Abelard had shot limped towards her. She fired a bolt, hitting true into the Omega’s chest but it still advanced. Rocky spotted this and hurled the bottle, hitting the wolf square in the back and setting the fur alight. Injured and aflame, the Lycan gave one last howl of pain before collapsing, the wolf like features melting away to reveal a man in tattered clothes. Ivy dropped her bow, covering her mouth to block out the sickening smell of burning flesh and hair.

The Lycan Mordecai attacked meanwhile, had gotten on its feet, jaw crunching back into place before circling the vampire. Bobby pulled Rocky back, the other two hunters taking care of the last Lycan who evaded bolts and bullets alike with unnatural dexterity for something its size. 

“Forced shifts, now this, what in God’s name are these wolves?” Ablerard exclaimed, quickly reloading his gun with more silver bullets. Ivy ran back towards the house, clutching her stomach. 

“I-I can do this. I can fight-” she repeated softly to herself, holding her bow so tightly her hand shook. Elsa looked back at her and shook her head. 

“Enough girl, let us handle this. You did well.” Mordecai watched the circling Lycan with narrowed eyes, red seeping into his vision just before leaping into the air. Unlike before, this Lycan was aware of his trick and lunged at him, wrapping his maw around the vampire’s waist and tackling him to the ground. Mordecai hissed, claws digging into the beast’s eyes and causing it to let go. Blood poured from his torso but the wounds quickly closed, a small stream of steam wafting from them. As the Lycan furiously wiped at his eyes, Mordecai lunged and sank his fangs into its throat, killing it almost instantaneously. 

As the Lycan stopped twitching, the vampire rose to his feet, wiping the excess blood from his lips before turning and finding a crossbow bolt pointed right in his face.

“Heller, you were told not to come back here.” Elsa warned, arm steady as she pointed her bow. Mordecai sighed, wiping the blood from his hands with the same calm energy he put into anything, as if he was unconcerned with the fact that a hunter was pointing their weapon right in his face. 

“I’m just looking after my assets Elsa, and it seems like you needed some help. I’ll be leaving shortly, but he,” he nodded towards Rocky, “will be coming with me.” Elsa glanced back at Rocky before scowling.

“I don’t know what kind of sick game you’re playing at here Mordecai, but right now the only reason I haven’t shot you is out of respect for Atlas. Now you just get off of my property and leave this boy well alone.”

“Actually,” Rocky peeked out from behind Ableard, “he’s my landlord?” All hunters and Mordecai turned to stare at him, the latter nodding to confirm. Elsa looked between them, flabbergasted while Ivy creeped up to Rocky to whisper;

“R-Rocky, I don’t know what’s going on but you can’t seriously be living with him! Do you know just what kind of wretch he is?”

“ I  _ can _ hear you, Miss Pepper,” Mordecai sighed, brow raised. Ivy flinched, gripping her bow tight, “and I can promise you that there are no games, no tricks or hidden agendas here. Mr. Rickaby is my tenant and my charge, and given the fact that Sweets has decided to violate his agreement, I would prefer to see him home personally.”

“I don’t see a car?” 

“Oh he doesn’t need a car.” Rocky chuckled. Mordecai rolled his eyes but shrugged in response.

“Indeed. Now, finish up whatever business you have here. I’ll be waiting.” Just as Mordecai turned to give the mortals space, a Lycan that had managed to sneak up on them leaped from the wheat, teeth and claws extended for the Vampire. Rocky felt the entire world slow down and without thinking he ran towards his landlord, grabbing him and yanking him out of harm’s way. The Lycan’s claws caught him in the forehead, ripping a deep gash into the skin while knocking him out with the force of the blow.

“Rocky!” Ivy screamed, lifting and shooting her crossbow right between the creature’s eyes. The heavy mass thudded to the ground, dead in an instant, while Mordecai caught Rocky before he fell. Blood poured down the boy’s face, eyes rolled to the back of his head as he quickly lost consciousness, but that wasn’t the strangest part. 

The blood that fell was _glowing_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy New Year lovelies!

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome my lovelies, to my second attempt at a multi-chaptered work. I did have to delete my previous work as I no longer care for the fandom/au that I was writing in but! Fear not, there are plenty of other, and better, treats on your way! And what better way to start than by writing a vampire/human au of everyone's favorite jazz age kitties? Updates will be sporadic as I am working full-time in both creative and professional capacities so for updates please follow me on Twitter @jrosehatton and Tumblr at mimomentomori! Stay luminous loves~


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